New Court Documents Allege Jeremy Renner Threatened to Kill His Ex-Wife Sonni Pacheco

Jeremy Renner and Sonni Pacheco’s marriage lasted only 10 months before they filed for divorce in 2014, with Pacheco citing “irreconcilable” differences between her and the Marvel actor. Their custody battle over daughter Ava Berlin, now age six, began shortly after, and escalated in September after Renner and Pacheco filed for sole custody of their daughter. On Monday TMZ reported that Pacheco has filed new documents that describe a disturbing night where Renner, allegedly “coked up and drunk,” fantasized about killing his wife and taking his own life.

While Renner, through his role in the Avengers has starred in some of the highest grossing films, in the last few years, his most notable press has concerned his ongoing custody battle with Pacheco. According to TMZ, the legal documents say that Renner got high at a club in November 2018, where he allegedly “began talking about killing Pacheco, telling someone he ‘could not deal with her anymore, and he just wanted her gone.’” The episode, according to Pacheco’s claim, aligned with his history of substance, verbal, and emotional abuse. Past filings alluded to the actor’s expansive gun collection—which Sonni has claimed endangered their daughter. (Renner denies the gun collection is harmful).

The filings, reports TMZ, allude to more troubling incidents, including one where Pacheco alleges that Renner stuck a gun in his mouth before firing a bullet into the ceiling—all while his daughter was in the house.

In a statement to TMZ, representatives for Renner claim Pacheco’s story is “dramatic” and “one-sided”:

“The well-being of his daughter Ava has always been and continues to be the primary focus for Jeremy. This is a matter for the court to decide. It’s important to note the dramatizations made in Sonni’s declaration are a one-sided account made with a specific goal in mind.”

Jezebel has reached out to Renner’s representatives and Disney/Marvel for comment, and will update with their response when we hear back. (Reps for Pacheco could not be immediately reached.)

It’s also worth noting that in November 2014, amidst news of their divorce, E! reported that Pacheco asked the court to order Renner “immediately return (her) stolen passport, birth certificate, social security card and be restrained from making further efforts to conceal.” Texts obtained by TMZ seem to show Renner saying that he had the documents and would only hand them over if Pacheco did what he demanded. In one exchange, Pacheco says she’ll file a police report if she doesn’t get her belongings, and Renner responds, “I told you the terms in which I can help you.” In another, he says “I know how to defend myself. You drew first blood.” The texts TMZ obtained also say:

Pacheco: “I’m being civil and don’t want to be in this toxic relationship with you anymore? Because I have Ava’s best interest and took her out of the car today because you would not stop yelling in front of her. C’mon let’s be adults.

Renner: Ha ha ha.

Pacheco: We both deserve better so let’s set each other free.

Renner: Ha ha ha. I have NO idea what you’re saying. But you’re funny.

The recent filing also claims that Renner was overheard by the nanny threatening to kill his ex-wife because, “It was better that Ava had no parents than to have [Sonni] as a mother,” reports TMZ.