Inside Jeremy Renner's Messy Split From His Ex-Wife
Jeremy Renner isn't one to put his personal life on display. For the most part, the "Mission Impossible" actor prefers to keep his public persona linked to his work, chiefly using social media to promote his films and TV shows. He did make an exception in early January, thanking those who offered support after he suffered a scary snow plow accident at his Nevada home on New Year's Day, as reported by Variety.
Renner's condition was deemed "critical," but the "Avengers" star took to Instagram to give fans a shoutout and show he's on the mend. "Thank you all for your kind words. Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all," Renner captioned a hospital selfie. The other exception he makes is for his daughter, Ava, whom he sometimes posts on social media. "My bright star," he captioned an August 2020 photo that concealed her face but showed she was getting her hair dyed pink.
Renner shares Ava with his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco. Us Weekly reported the ex-couple welcomed their daughter in March 2013 before they secretly tied the knot in January the following year. Staying true to his character, Renner attempted to keep details of the pregnancy and the wedding as private as possible. "I have tried to protect my family's privacy," he told Capitol File magazine in September 2014 (via People). But Renner's marriage to Pacheco didn't last. Just months after saying "I do," the couple went through a messy divorce.
Jeremy Renner and Sonni Pacheco fought over Ava's custody
The dissolution of the marriage between Jeremy Renner and Canadian artist Sonni Pacheco started in late 2014, just 10 months after their wedding, as noted by People. In her divorce filings, Pacheco accused Renner of "fraud," an argument she used to try to have their prenuptial agreement invalidated. Pacheco also sought physical custody of their daughter Ava. Pacheco, a Canadian citizen, also suggested Renner had hidden her passport, among other documents, to prevent her from leaving the country.
In 2015, the former couple reached an agreement to share custody of Ava and that Renner would pay $13,000 a month in child support, TMZ reported. As Renner's salary increased with the success of Hawkeye in the "Avengers" franchise, he and Pacheco settled again. The new deal capped his yearly payments to Pacheco between 2018 and 2020 at $200,000, according to The Blast.
It sounded like that was that until Pacheco filed for sole custody in September 2019, and the two again embarked on a tumultuous court battle. According to The Blast, in July 2020, Pacheco accused "The Hurt Locker" actor of threatening to kill her and of abusing drugs and alcohol. Renner has denied the allegations in court but refrained from discussing them publicly. "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," he told Men's Health in September 2021
Jeremy Renner reportedly only got married for Ava's sake
Jeremy Renner reportedly knew he and Sonni Pacheco weren't each other's better halves. "They are just not compatible," a source told E! News amid coverage of their divorce. He acquiesced because he believed it was important for their daughter. "Jeremy wanted out of the marriage almost as soon as he got into it. He wanted to make sure Ava had a solid family unit and tried to make it work," the insider noted. "It's really sad because Jeremy loves Ava so much and hates that she will live her life with her parents split up."
Despite his wishes for a nuclear family proving unsuccessful, Renner embraced parenthood from day one. "She's kind of ruined my life in the best way possible ... Because what I used to think I loved so much — I love my job, I love what I do and I've given my entire life to what I do — and she comes around and kind of steps all over that," he told Capitol File magazine (via ABC News).
The source who spoke with E! News highlighted his parenting skills.n"All he cares about is being a dad," they explained. "He is an amazing father." Renner protects Ava's privacy by not posting her face but is more open to sharing pictures of her as a baby. "Thank you Ava for the BEST day of my life and EVERYDAY since then," he captioned a Father's Day post.