Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner (55), beloved as Hawkeye in the Avengers film series, has been embroiled in an absurd and shocking lawsuit. A woman filed a suit claiming she was the victim of a "romance scam (a fraud under the guise of a romantic relationship)." Jeremy Renner's side is jumping up and down, calling it a "typical impersonation scam."
According to foreign media reports on the 11th (local time), Mani Reeves (56) from California, U.S., recently sued Jeremy Renner on charges of fraud. Introducing herself as a divorced woman who ended a 20-year marriage, she claimed, "After liking Jeremy Renner's social media post in 2023, a secret relationship with him began," a claim that shook the entertainment industry.
The complaint Reeves submitted to the court is a whopping 549 pages. She claimed, "I chatted with Jeremy Renner on WhatsApp for several hours every day, and we exchanged sexual messages as well as photos of body parts," and she complained that she was defrauded of a total of $23,450 in the name of purchasing fan cards and meeting expenses, which is about 31 million won.
But Jeremy Renner's position is firm. Renner's legal team dismissed the case, saying, "This matter has nothing to do with anything Jeremy Renner did. It is merely a 'reckless lawsuit' based on a fabricated romance the plaintiff created herself."
In fact, the account Reeves communicated with was a fake account without a verification mark (blue check), and the person who demanded money was revealed to be an unidentified individual, not Renner's management team. Renner's side said, "We have already issued multiple notices to beware of impersonators. Would Renner, an 80 billion asset owner, do such a thing for only 30 million won?" expressing disbelief.
Reeves remains defiant. She claimed, "I clearly saw his face when we did a video call on Google Chat," and even alleged that Jeremy Renner's family conspired to deceive her. Renner's side countered, saying, "Reeves is compiling manipulated information using AI and chatGPT to create a narrative disconnected from reality."
Jeremy Renner was critically injured in a large snowcat accident early last year and miraculously recovered, receiving support from fans around the world. Local public opinion about the claim that he committed such a despicable crime during his recovery period is generally that it was an "unfortunate incident caused by an impersonator."
Currently, Jeremy Renner's side is making every effort to have the lawsuit dismissed. Renner's lawyer Marty Singer expressed confidence of victory, calling it "one of the most ridiculous lawsuits in my 40 years of practice."
Whether this case will end as the tragedy of a typical "romance scam" targeting a lonely middle-aged woman, or whether another twist will be revealed during the trial process, fans around the world are closely watching. The trial in this case is scheduled to be held in August.
[Photo] Jeremy Renner's social media
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