Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner is facing serious allegations from Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou, who claims he sent her nude photos and threatened to report her to immigration authorities. The Oscar-nominated star has vehemently denied all accusations through his legal representatives.
Renner's Legal Team Fires Back
Through his spokesperson, Renner stated that 'the allegations being made are totally inaccurate and untrue' when contacted by Variety. His lawyer, Martin Singer, provided a more detailed rebuttal to PEOPLE, characterizing Zhou's claims as 'false, outrageous, and highly defamatory.'
Singer revealed that the two individuals shared a 'brief consensual encounter' on July 12, 2025, but claimed that Renner ended the relationship after Zhou began sending him 'sexually explicit messages expressing her love.' The lawyer asserted that Zhou's allegations represent retaliation for Renner having 'rejected her romantic advances.'
Zhou's Detailed Allegations
Yi Zhou first made her allegations public through a series of social media posts earlier in November 2025. She claimed that Renner initially contacted her in June 2025, sending 'personal and intimate photographs of himself.' Zhou stated she believed his sincerity when he told her he had been single for a long time and was open to a serious relationship.
The situation allegedly deteriorated when Zhou questioned Renner's behavior. '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,' Zhou claimed in her Instagram posts.
In interviews with Daily Mail and PEOPLE, Zhou provided additional disturbing details. She alleged that Renner drank an entire bottle of wine alone and engaged in angry yelling for two hours. The filmmaker said she became so concerned for her safety that she 'had to location share to my team, my parents and Disney colleagues in case something happens to me.'
Escalating Legal Battle
Renner's legal team has taken aggressive action in response to the allegations. They have sent a cease and desist letter to Zhou demanding she stop spreading what they call 'false, fabricated and salacious lies' about the actor.
Zhou has responded with her own legal measures and additional allegations. In follow-up Instagram posts, she claimed that her first sexual encounter with Renner 'was not consensual' and that her 'boundaries were not respected.' She stated that while she consented to subsequent encounters, the initial experience remained 'deeply unsettling.'
The filmmaker also indicated she possesses information about 'other women' who allegedly experienced similar behavior from Renner and encouraged them to come forward. Zhou released a copy of her own cease and desist letter sent to Renner's legal team, asserting her right to 'protect my professional reputation' and correct misinformation.
The two had previously collaborated professionally on the documentary 'Chronicles of Disney,' though Renner's lawyer states they haven't had contact 'in over a month.' The situation continues to develop as both parties maintain their conflicting versions of events.
