Actor Jeremy Renner has firmly denied allegations of sexual misconduct and threatening behavior brought forward by Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou, who worked with the Marvel star on two projects earlier this year.
A representative for Renner told People that “the accusations being made by this individual are totally inaccurate and untrue.” The denial comes after Zhou published a series of detailed allegations on Instagram and gave interviews to media outlets describing what she characterized as deeply troubling behavior.
Zhou, who directed the documentary Chronicles of Disney featuring Renner and collaborated with him on the animated film Stardust Future, claims the actor first contacted her in June 2025. According to Zhou, Renner sent her “unwanted / unsolicited pornographic images of himself via DM and Whatsapp” as an introduction before pursuing a romantic relationship with her.
The filmmaker’s most serious allegation centers on threats she says Renner made after she confronted him about his conduct. “When I called him out privately about his past misconduct and asked him to behave properly, to respect me as a woman and as a filmmaker, he threatened to call immigration/ICE on me, an act that deeply shocked and frightened me,” Zhou wrote in her Instagram statement.
Zhou also described an alarming incident at Renner’s Nevada home during a meeting about their documentary project. She told the Daily Mail that Renner “drank a bottle of wine alone and got angry and angry yelling for two hours,” causing her to lock herself in a room out of fear for her safety. The filmmaker provided screenshots of text messages with colleagues documenting her concerns during the alleged incident.
The accusations have drawn attention to Renner’s past, as his ex-wife Sonni Pacheco previously accused him of threatening behavior during their custody battle in 2019, claims which the actor has consistently denied.
Zhou stated that she is speaking out to address what she views as systemic issues in the entertainment industry. “This experience really shows the dark side of Hollywood and the smear campaign to deter women and Asian female filmmakers and women in general,” she wrote.
Renner, who survived a near-fatal snowplow accident in 2023 and recently completed his recovery, has not personally addressed the allegations publicly beyond his representative’s statement.
