Jeremy Renner’s Secret Texts And Alleged Threats Spark New Hollywood Scandal

Jeremy Renner’s once-private world has been thrown into turmoil after Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou accused the Oscar-nominated actor of sending her explicit photos and pornographic videos, engaging in drunken tirades, and later threatening to “call ICE” when their relationship soured.

The allegations, which Zhou made public through Instagram and later detailed to a news tabloid, have left Hollywood reeling.

Yi Zhou, a filmmaker who collaborated with "The Hurt Locker" star on a documentary and an animated movie, claims her experience with Renner quickly turned from professional to deeply unsettling.

In a candid interview with the Daily Mail, she said the actor’s behavior escalated during what was supposed to be a routine meeting at his home.

“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 recalled. “I had to location-share to my team, my parents and Disney colleagues in case something happens to me they know where I am.”

The filmmaker described how fear took over as she tried to protect herself.

She revealed, “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.”

In texts shared with the outlet, Zhou, 37, allegedly informed colleagues that Renner had been drinking heavily and became aggressive during an August 20 meeting.

One colleague asked, “Can you lock yourself in the bathroom? He sounds crazy,” to which Zhou 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.”

According to Zhou, this incident was part of a broader pattern of emotional volatility and inappropriate advances.

On Instagram, she wrote that she had “lived with fear for my safety and deep distress,” adding, “It is with deep regret, sadness, and disappointment that I am compelled to share a truth I have been holding inside for too long.”

Zhou also accused the "Avengers" actor of “misconduct,” claiming he had sent her intimate photos and explicit videos early in their collaboration.

“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 posts, Zhou shared a screenshot of a short porn video clip Renner allegedly texted her on WhatsApp.

The clip depicted a male and female actor in a sex scene, accompanied by a drooling emoji and the message: “This ok ???” She further claimed, “I have a collection of those photos and the porn gifs that he sent.”

“He convinced me of his sincerity, saying he had been single for a long time and open to a long-term relationship,” Zhou continued. “I believed in him, in the power of love, and in the possibility of redemption.”

Before things turned sour, the two filmmakers had been seen spending time together near Renner’s Reno home, where Zhou shared clips of them driving in his convertible.

In October, she confirmed that they had been dating but revealed that their connection had quickly deteriorated.

“I did not reach out to him, he pursued me,” Zhou said. “I didn’t even know his name, never watched a movie of his. He used me and denied me and denied our work.”

The pair collaborated on two projects: "Chronicles of Disney," a documentary featuring Renner as a key interviewee, and "Stardust Future," an animated film for which he provided a voiceover. However, Zhou accused him of later distancing himself from their joint work.

“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,” she said.

Their fallout reportedly deepened when Zhou confronted Renner privately about his alleged misconduct and asked him to “behave properly.”

According to Zhou, he reacted by threatening to involve immigration authorities.

She said, “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.”

The Daily Mail obtained screenshots of alleged WhatsApp exchanges between the two, providing a window into their deteriorating relationship.

In one message, Zhou called Renner a “pig,” accusing him of using “apps to send d**k pix,” and added, “no one said anything – so far.”

Renner’s alleged response read: “Immigration will be notified of your—” with the remainder of the message cut off. Zhou declined to share the rest of the text with the outlet.

Amid the chaos, Zhou also reached out to Renner about the backlash she was receiving online during their Oscar campaign. His replies were reportedly dismissive: “I don’t know any of these people” and “I don’t control people.”

For Zhou, the lack of accountability was devastating.

“Such behavior is unacceptable and emblematic of the imbalance of power that continues to harm women in our industry,” she wrote. “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.”

Though she admitted it took her time to speak out, Zhou said she felt compelled to share her story publicly.

“It took me long time, before I had the courage to write this and speak up,” she explained. “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.”

Photographs she shared from the day of the alleged confrontation showed Renner beside a half-empty wine bottle, his hand reaching for the glass, eyes unfocused. Other photos appeared to show the actor lounging on a couch with his laptop at what she said was his Reno home.

The shocking claims have cast a shadow over the actor’s carefully rebuilt image following his near-fatal snowplow accident in 2023.

Since then, Renner had been celebrated for his resilience and recovery, even returning to the red carpet earlier this year. Now, the allegations threaten to reignite scrutiny over his private behavior.

As of now, representatives for Jeremy Renner have not responded to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, Zhou’s statements continue to spread online, with fans and observers divided between disbelief and concern.