Marvel star Jeremy Renner has responded to filmmaker Yi Zhou’s shocking allegations with a cease and desist letter, claiming that the pair were never romantically involved and that she “aggressively” pursued him.
TMZ obtained a copy of the letter, which claims that their working relationship began after Renner agreed to participate in Zhou’s documentary, Chronicles of Disney, but that she made a move on him during their first meeting in July.
According to Renner, the pair had a “brief consensual encounter” and when they met again in August, he told her he was not interested in a sexual relationship. He went on to claim that Zhou continued to pursue him aggressively after that meeting, sending him “hundreds” of explicit messages asking to be with him and “demanding” sex.
The Daily Beast has contacted Renner’s lawyers for comment.
Renner claimed he did not give Zhou a reason to think they were in a relationship beyond their first encounter, and says that she threatened to “harm him publicly” unless he agreed to promote her documentary and pretend they were a couple. He also accused Zhou of falsely identifying him as the narrator of an AI-generated film.
The letter concludes by warning Zhou that she will face legal action if she does not stop spreading “salacious lies.”
Zhou went public with her allegations against Renner on Monday, taking to Instagram to accuse him of sending her “unsolicited pornographic images of himself” and behaving in a manner that made her fear for her life. She also accused Renner of threatening to call ICE on her after she confronted him about his misconduct.
Marty Singer, Renner’s lawyer, denied Zhou’s claims in a statement to People, describing her allegations as “false, outrageous and highly defamatory.”
Zhou has posted what she claims is evidence of her relationship with Renner on Instagram, including photos taken together, text messages and emails exchanged, messages sent by Zhou to her friends about Renner and a short pornographic clip Renner allegedly sent her in June.
Zhou also posted messages from multiple other women she claims contacted her to share their own experiences with Renner and appealed for others to contact her with their experiences.
She also posted the cease and desist letter she sent to Renner on Wednesday, in which she asks that he cease his “threatening, intimidating, and disrespectful conduct.”
In a statement to the Daily Beast, Zhou said, “I responded to their response to our cease and desist by stating that the [documentary and animated film] are part 1 and 2, recorded same time and signed. I’m not upset with Jeremy at all, he has been reciprocal and only pity not to pro bono support our projects that are running FYC.”
“I hope his lawyer who also worked for me can be a peacemaker and explain to Jeremy what I had hard time explaining [to] him that brought us to the [disagreement] and bring serenity and creativity in Hollywood community again, and give voice to women to speak.”
Zhou also responded to The New York Post’s article about Renner’s cease and desist letter on Instagram, writing, “We have enough evidence I posted yesterday of also other female to show the pattern of pursuit. The purpose of these conversations is to show that we need to have respect for women, even during intercourse if we are not ready the first time we need to give the female the time.”
Renner, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for playing Clint “Hawkeye” Barton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was previously accused of abusive behavior by his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco.
According to court documents, Pacheco accused Renner of dangerous drug use and threatening to kill both her and himself during their 2019 custody dispute.
Renner denied the allegations in an interview given earlier this year to The Guardian, telling the outlet, ”They happen all the time. It’s all the salaciousness that happens out there. It’s clickbait, and it hurts my feelings and it dehumanizes people.”
Renner, who nearly died in a snowplow accident in 2023, painted himself as a man reborn in that same interview. He said it was an “honor to be alive.”
“I’ve never been more connected and more open and more vulnerable and more loving,” he said. “And I’ve never received more goodwill. That connection was buried deep, deep, deep in my soul, beforehand, but now it’s at the forefront. It’s all that matters to me.”
