LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA: Jeremy Renner has long been known for making headlines over the bitter split and messy custody battle with Sonni Pacheco. The pair, who tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2014, parted ways in December that same year. At the time, Pacheco filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences."
As the duo got involved in a custody battle over their daughter, Ava, Pacheco accused Renner of having wild parties, engaging in alleged threesomes, doing drugs, biting their child and even firing a gun inside their home. Years after their sour split, the exes seemed to have buried the hatchet as Pacheco was reportedly spotted inside Renner's ranch near Lake Tahoe in a video posted by his friend Rory Milkin, the co-host of his Disney+ series 'Rennervations'.
According to the Daily Mail, Pacheco and Renner reportedly made amends after the latter's near-fatal snow plow incident, with 'The Wingman' actress reportedly living at the Marvel star's Nevada ranch for several days. In the video posted on Instagram, she was seen holding a baby bottle, possibly for her four-month-old daughter Wylder, whom she shares with ice hockey player Nate Thompson. The publication also reported that Pacheco unfollowed Thompson on social media amid her sighting at Renner's home.
Sonni Pacheco's allegations against Jeremy Renner
Renner and Pacheco's short-lived 11-month marriage resulted in a messy divorce and bitter custody battle over their daughter spanning several years. After Pacheco filed for divorce from the 'Hawkeye' star on December 30, 2014, she also asked the court to void their prenuptial agreement, claiming it was based on "fraud" and demanded child support along with physical custody of their daughter, People reported.
In her filings, Pacheco asked Renner to return her passport, alleging it was stolen along with her birth certificate and social security card. In 2019, she filed another request with the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, seeking sole legal and physical custody of Ava and even requesting monitored visitation for Renner. As per court documents obtained by TMZ that year, Pacheco claimed that Renner threw wild parties and had threesomes at their house.
She also accused him of using drugs and leaving cocaine on the bathroom counter within their daughter's reach and said that Renner allegedly told a friend at a nightclub in 2018 that he wanted to "get rid" of Pacheco. The Canadian actress went on to allege that Renner once fired a gun into the roof of their home while Ava was asleep and also threatened to kill himself by putting a gun in his mouth.
Pacheco further alleged that Renner even bit their daughter by citing doctor's notes and claimed that he was allegedly referred to the Department of Child and Family Services. In her filings, Pacheco deemed Renner an "unfit" parent and accused him of substance abuse, physical, verbal, and emotional abuse as well as sexual promiscuity. As per court documents obtained by the Daily Mail at the time, Renner's ex-girlfriend Carmen Orford also backed up Pacheco's claims.
The document reportedly contained testimonies from two other women in addition to Orford, who accused Renner of operating an X-rated Snapchat account. One of the women alleged that Renner coaxed her into wearing a revealing gown embroidered with his daughter's name on it while Orford claimed the account was under a username featuring his daughter's birthdate and initials.
Orford also submitted copies of texts in which Renner allegedly spoke about using Molly or ecstasy. At the time, Ava's former nanny Naomi Moore also alleged that 'The Avengers' star got drunk "every night" when she worked for him and that his loud parties affected his daughter's sleep. Renner continued to deny all the accusations made against him.
How did Jeremy Renner respond to the allegations?
Back in 2015, Renner responded to Pacheco's divorce filing by requesting joint custody of their daughter. Shortly after, Renner was asked to pay $13,000 a month in child support. After Renner's work with Marvel made him an "extraordinary high-income earner" in 2018, he was asked to pay $292,000 as additional child support that year.
A new agreement further stated that Renner's yearly payments for 2018, 2019, and 2020 would not exceed $200,000 but if the amount went over that limit, the money will go toward Ava’s educational expenses. It was also mentioned that any leftover money would be given to Ava when she turns 27. When Pacheco filed for sole legal and physical custody of their daughter and shared a series of explosive allegations against her ex-husband, Renner's lawyers called the accusations "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," the attoneys told People in a statement. Renner also filed for sole custody of Ava and called Pacheco a "gate-keeping bully who is using the child as a commodity and pawn in her struggle to control Respondent [Renner]."
As per TMZ, Renner even accused Pacheco of being "sex obsessed" and alleged that she sent inappropriate photos of herself to the custody evaluator. He also hit back at Pacheco's claims alleging that she is the one who abuses on drugs and alcohol in front of their daughter. Meanwhile, Renner's lawyers stated that the actor "even hired a mental health specialist to monitor his visits with Ava to prove he was both sober and a capable parent."
In 2020, the 'Mayor of Kingstown' actor accused Pacheco of misusing their daughter's trust funds. The latter denied the claim saying, "This is a small insight of what I have been dealing with over the years. Which leads us to now, the upcoming court case — about me 'Misappropriating Avas Funds' and Jeremy seeking to reduce child support." Speaking about the allegations, Renner told Men's Health in 2021, "I don’t respond publicly or privately to nonsense."
He added, "It only empowers it… If you respond to it, you give it gas. I don’t fuel sh*t fires. I just don’t do it. I refuse to." While Ava currently lives with her mother, Pacheco and Renner's court battle ended with the couple getting joint custody of their daughter.
