Jeremy Renner doubles down on Avengers 'slut' comment


In the midst of a very bumpy press tour for Avengers: Age of Ultron last month, stars Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner drew criticism for an interview in which they called Black Widow, the character played by Scarlett Johansson, a "slut" and a "complete whore." As the controversy bubbled over, Chris Evans issued a genuine-sounding apology, Jeremy Renner issued a not-so-genuine-sounding apology, and everyone pretty much moved on.
Except, apparently, Jeremy Renner. In a Monday interview on Conan, Renner doubled down on his original comment. "Yeah, it was a joke. Off-color. Whatever. I'm unapologetic about a lot of things," said Renner. "But, yeah, I got in a lot of trouble. Internet trouble. I guess that's a thing now you can get in."
"Now, mind you, I was talking about a fictional character, and fictional behavior. But, Conan: If you slept with four of the six Avengers — no matter how much fun you had — you'd be a slut. Just saying. I'd be a slut."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Of course, the original controversy stemmed from the double standard about how a man with multiple partners isn't generally labeled a "slut" or a "whore" — so yeah, still kind of missing the point, Renner.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Palestine Action: protesters or terrorists?
Talking Point Damaging RAF equipment at Brize Norton blurs line between activism and sabotage, but proscription is a drastic step
-
Trump's strikes on Iran: a 'spectacular success'?
In Depth Military humiliations 'expose the brittleness' of Tehran's ageing regime, but risk reinforcing its commitment to its nuclear program
-
A long weekend in Zürich
The Week Recommends The vibrant Swiss city is far more than just a banking hub
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada