Jeremy Renner has hit back after he was accused of serious wrongdoing by Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Zhou claims Renner was prone to drunken rants that left her terrified — and that after their fallout he threatened to “call ICE.”
“I had to lock myself in a room to be safe praying he would not come into the room at night as he was really angry. I did not say a word, I was so scared for my life,” she told the Daily Mail.
She also posted on Instagram Monday, saying she had “lived with fear for my safety and deep distress.”
Renner’s Legal Team Hits Back with Cease‑and‑Desist
Now, Renner is pushing back. His attorney, Martin Singer (also referred to as Marty Singer), has sent a cease‑and‑desist letter — obtained by TMZ — in which he denies Zhou’s claims and warns of legal action unless she stops.
According to the letter, Renner had initially agreed to participate in Zhou’s documentary Chronicles of Disney, but says their first meeting in July quickly turned uncomfortable when Zhou allegedly made a move on him.
He admits there was a “brief consensual encounter,” but states he made it clear by August that he was not interested in pursuing any further romantic or sexual relationship.
To avoid any further intimacy, he claims he placed Zhou in a guest bedroom during a later meeting.
Despite this, Renner alleges Zhou continued to pursue him, sending “hundreds of explicit text messages” and demanding intimacy - even during a car ride to the airport.
He insists their relationship, apart from the initial encounter, remained strictly professional.
The letter further accuses Zhou of threatening to “harm him publicly” unless he promoted her documentary and falsely portrayed a romantic connection between them.
In a separate statement, Singer blasted Zhou’s accusations as “false, outrageous and highly defamatory,” asserting that she lashed out after Renner “rejected her romantic advances” and refused to promote her projects on social media.
Renner's legal team has warned Zhou to stop spreading "false, fabricated and salacious lies," with the threat of legal action if she continues.
Jeremy Renner denies the allegations. Credit: Gotham / Getty
Zhou Details What She Calls a Nightmare Collaboration
In her interview with the Daily Mail, Zhou recounted one unsettling encounter at Renner’s home where she says he became drunk and berated her for two hours.
“I was discussing about the doc logistics, then he drank a bottle of wine alone and got angry and angry yelling for two hours,” Zhou said. “I had to location share to my team, my parents and Disney colleagues in case something happens to me they know where I am.”
Alleged text messages shared by Zhou with her Disney colleagues show her describing Renner as “violent.”
In one message a co‑worker urged: “Can you lock yourself in the bathroom? He sounds crazy,”
Zhou allegedly replied: “I did lock hope he can’t open,” “I m [so] worried he yelled for 2 hours with one bottle of wine down alone.”
During another moment: “Do you think you will be safe staying there?” one co‑worker asked.
“Yes, I should be OK,” Zhou responded.
Alleged Unsolicited Photos, Threats and Power Dynamics
Zhou also claims Renner contacted her directly in June and sent “personal and intimate photographs of himself,” behavior she says he has exhibited before.
“Mr Renner first contacted me directly in June, sending personal and intimate photographs of himself, behavior that, according to public reports, he has exhibited before,” she wrote in her Instagram post.
She told the Daily Mail she had a collection of those photos and porn clips he allegedly sent. She included a screenshot of a short porn‑video clip Renner allegedly texted to her on WhatsApp in June, with a drooling emoji and the message: “This ok ???”
Zhou claimed: “He convinced me of his sincerity, saying he had been single for a long time and open to a long‑term relationship,” she wrote. “I believed in him, in the power of love, and in the possibility of redemption.”
Zhou further alleged: “I did not reach out to him, he pursued me,” she said. “I didn’t even know his name, never watched a movie of his. He used me and denied me and denied our work.”
She also posted on Instagram: “It is with deep regret, sadness, and disappointment that I am compelled to share a truth I have been holding inside for too long,” she wrote.
“No woman, filmmaker, or creative should have to work under such emotional and psychological pressure while trying to protect her name and the integrity of her work.”
“Such behavior is unacceptable and emblematic of the imbalance of power that continues to harm women in our industry,” she wrote.
She added: “This misinformation and intimidation have not only caused personal and reputational harm to me but have also undermined the collective creative work and integrity of all the artisans who contributed to this film.”
“It took me long time, before I had the courage to write this and speak up… I thank my team, my agents / managers and friends / other women who supported me in voicing such a pain and humiliation I still have inside as I am typing these posts.”
Renner maintains that these allegations are false.