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Why is 'RIP Jeremy Renner' trending? Hawkeye is not dead but ex-wife Sonni Pacheco's abuse claims resurface

This is, surprisingly, not the first time that misinformation about Renner’s death went viral

False news of celebrities dying is dime a dozen on the internet, and Tuesday saw that happen with actor Jeremy Renner. On March 2, more than 3,000 people on Twitter were tweeting about the hashtag “RIP Jeremy Renner”. 

This is, surprisingly, not the first time that misinformation about Renner’s death went viral. In fact, in 2017 – the last time this happened – Renner addressed it himself. On January 11, 2017, Renner shared a selfie on Instagram with the caption: “Apparently there is an internet HOAX that I died? Hmmm. Well, not from where I'm sitting! So not to worry for those who care...”. He also used the hashtag "internet abuse" to convey his feelings on the matter at the time. 

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Why was “RIP Jeremy Renner” trending?

The fact that the hashtag was trending even though Renner was not dead had many confused. Several Twitter users – some even alarmed – asked what led to this. A quick look through the trend makes it clear that this hashtag had less to do with any rumors of deaths and more to do with people on social media canceling him. "Why #ripjeremyrenner is trending? He did something bad? , I don't understand. Can someone explain to me?!" one user commented, while another wrote, "Jeremy Renner isn't dead. #ripjeremyrenner. Just a bunch of f*cking kids who try to act all woke and anti-bullying etc. while deliberately getting a RIP hashtag going for someone they don't like. F*ck off with that sh*t."

While what triggered the Twitter trend is still uncertain, many were talking about Renner’s alleged abusive behavior in the past. In 2019, the ‘Avengers’ star’s ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco, accused him of disturbing, abusive behavior toward herself and their daughter as part of a legal battle for the sole custody of six-year-old Ava. 

Pacheco alleged that Renner bit Ava, who was four at the time, in April of 2017. According to Pacheco’s testimony, after she noticed a bruise on her daughter’s shoulder, Ava allegedly told her, “Daddy bit me.” Ava reportedly “explained that the bite happened when [Renner] was being mean and yelling.”

As per emails included in the court filing, Renner claimed the bruise on his daughter’s shoulder was from her seatbelt pinching her. Pacheco reportedly wrote back, “When… putting some ointment on her owie, Ava told me you bit her there.” The documents allege that Renner responded, “Ha. No. We do a nibble game called Ava burrito. Haha. But not a bite. Tell her she’s spicy. And the game ensues. Haha. Nibble game are fake nibbles.”

Pacheco also accused Renner of threatening to kill her and himself. She said that after a night of partying -- drinking and cocaine use was involved -- Renner threatened her with a gun and put the gun in his mouth. He reportedly said at the time that he “could not deal with her anymore, and he just wanted to be gone.” 

Pacheco also claimed that a nanny overheard Renner saying that he planned to kill her and himself because “it was better that Ava had no parents than to have [Pacheco] as a mother.”

A Renner spokesperson said at the time, “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.”

Renner, who is most famous for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films ‘Thor’, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, ‘Captain America: Civil War’, and ‘Avengers: Endgame’, was recently cast in the Taylor Sheridan series ‘Mayor of Kingstown’. The show follows the McLusky family -- power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. 

“I am excited to dig into the complex and rough-around-the-edges character of Mike McLusky (the Mayor of Kingstown),” said Renner. “In a world otherwise forgotten in society, Mike serves as a flawed system of checks and balances. Taylor has brought to life a layered and poignant universe that is not only incredibly intriguing but also more relevant than ever.”