Jeremy Renner ‘threatened to kill himself and his ex-wife’

Actor ‘stuck a gun in his mouth before shooting it into the ceiling’, lawsuit claims

Jeremy Renner custody case: Sonni Pacheco’s allegations are ‘one-sided’, a representative says. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty
Jeremy Renner custody case: Sonni Pacheco’s allegations are ‘one-sided’, a representative says. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty

The Marvel actor Jeremy Renner allegedly threatened to kill himself and his ex-wife, according to a lawsuit.

The star, who plays the superhero Hawkeye in the Marvel films, is locked in a custody battle with Sonni Pacheco over their six-year-old daughter, Ava. Pacheco, a Canadian model who married Renner in January 2014 before filing for divorce later that year, has accused her ex-husband of drug use and emotional abuse. A representative for Renner said the allegations are “one-sided”.

In legal documents lodged in Los Angeles, Pacheco, who is seeking full custody of the couple’s daughter, claims Renner once threatened to kill her. On one occasion, she alleges, Renner stuck a gun in his mouth before shooting it into the ceiling. He was high on cocaine and said he “could not deal with her anymore, and he just wanted her gone,” the lawsuit says. Pacheco also alleges Renner took cocaine while looking after Ava and once left the drug on a bathroom counter within the child’s reach.

A representative for Renner told People magazine: “The wellbeing 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 dramatisations made in Sonni’s declaration are a one-sided account made with a specific goal in mind.”

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When filing for divorce in December 2014, Pacheco cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. A court hearing in the city is set for November 7th. As well as his role in the Marvel films, Renner, who is 48, earned Oscar nominations for films The Hurt Locker and The Town. – PA