Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The actor’s lawyer says Yi Zhou’s allegations are retaliatory, following her rejection of his romantic advances.
Jeremy Renner is strongly denying claims made by Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou, who alleged that the actor sent her explicit images and threatened to call ICE. Renner, 54, has called the accusations “completely false.”
Zhou, who worked with Renner on the documentary Chronicles of Disney and an animated project, posted on Instagram that he sent her “a string of unwanted / unsolicited pornographic images of himself” in June. She also claimed that when she confronted him, he threatened to involve immigration authorities.
On Nov. 7, Renner’s attorney, Marty Singer, issued a cease-and-desist letter to Zhou, obtained by Fox News Digital. The letter stated, in part: “Your unhealthy obsession with and harassment of my client has escalated to serious tortious conduct which will not be tolerated… If it does not stop immediately, my client will pursue legal action against you… for defamation, harassment, and to seek a restraining order precluding you from any further contact with my client.”
Singer also described Zhou’s claims as “false, outrageous and highly defamatory” in a statement to People, alleging that they were retaliatory after Renner “rejected her romantic advances” and declined to promote her projects on social media.
According to Singer, Renner met Zhou in July at a hotel in Reno, Nevada, for an interview for her documentary, during which there was a “brief consensual encounter.” They met again in August, but Renner has not had contact with her for over a month. Singer claimed that Zhou continued sending him “sexually explicit messages expressing her love,” the latest on Oct. 24, describing her actions as “relentless harassment.”
“The true facts are that Ms. Zhou has relentlessly and aggressively harassed and pursued my client for months with no reciprocation on my client’s part, other than a single brief encounter on July 12, 2025,” Singer stated.
After receiving the cease-and-desist letter, Zhou posted on Instagram that she is not speaking out for “retaliation” but to “protect my professional reputation” and “set boundaries.”
