Did Jeremy Renner just break up with his BFF, business partner & roommate?

Jeremy Renner has lived with house-flipping business partner for years. The guy’s name is Kristoffer Winters and while there’s always been interest in and gossip around Renner and Winters’ relationship, the speculation really heated up over the past year, when Renner’s marriage fell apart and Winters – who lived with Renner and his wife, Three’s Company-style – became a witness and a character reference in the contentious divorce and custody battle. Winters was the one telling the court that Sonni Pacheco was a cokehead and that she just married Renner to get a green card. That’s how close Winters was and is to all of Renner’s personal life, okay? Winters is always cited as one of the main reasons “why” people believe Renner is gay. So this story is interesting…

Jeremy Renner is finding his personal relationships are ‘mission impossible’ as he cuts ties with his live-in best friend, Kristoffer Winters. Although his reps deny it, Renner has been shacking up with his interior designer buddy for more than a decade – even during his 11-month marriage to Sonni Pacheco – but now Jeremy has had enough of the wicked whispers that he and Kristoffer are more than just friends.

“He says the gay rumors don’t bother him, but they absolutely do and he doesn’t want it affecting his career,” says a friend. “He told Kris he had to go.”

Renner finally finished a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife over daughter Ava and he’s looking for a clean slate.

“Jeremy doesn’t want to give Sonni ammunition or have Ava grow up confused… Kris is hurt by his decision because he’s been defending him so profusely – he never thought Jeremy would turn his back on him.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Gossip Cop says this story is wrong – they spoke to Renner’s rep who said the story is “completely untrue and ridiculous” and that Winters “never moved in to [Renner’s] new home. He had his own home.” If you’re wondering why Renner’s rep is so oddly specific about the different homes, here’s why: just a few weeks ago, Renner and Winters sold their Runyon Canyon home (which they renovated together and lived in together) and presumably Renner has a new home. The Runyon Canyon home was the one Renner shared with Winters AND Sonni Pacheco and Winters was always described as their “roommate.” My point? I think Star is on to something and Renner’s rep is just parsing. Renner has told Winters that they shouldn’t live together anymore, and that’s why they flipped the Runyon Canyon home (for a large profit) and that’s why Renner and Winters are now living in separate homes.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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