Content warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault and emotional abuse.
Armie Hammer has opened up about the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations that were levelled at him three years ago.
In a new interview on the Painful Lessons podcast, the actor—who has continually denied the allegations—said he is ultimately “grateful” for his fall from grace and addressed the “bizarre” cannibalism rumours that have plagued him since.
“Whatever it was that people said, whatever it was that happened, I’m now at a place in my life where I’m grateful for every single bit of it,” the Call Me By Your Name actor said. “I’m actually now at a place where I’m really grateful for it, because where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me, I didn’t feel good. I never felt satisfied. I never had enough. I never was in a place where I was happy with myself, where I had self-esteem. I never knew how to give myself love.”
Scroll on for a recap on the allegations levelled against Hammer, and what he has said about them since.
What Happened To Armie Hammer?
In January 2021, an anonymous Instagram account going posted what they claimed to be direct messages sent from Hammer. The texts detailed sexual fantasies, including of rape, violence and cannibalism. Hammer denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
Later that month, his ex-girlfriend Courtney Vucekovich spoke to Page Six, accusing Hammer of further misconduct and emotional abuse.
“He said to me he wants to break my rib and barbecue and eat it,” she told the outlet at the time.
Vucekovich also told the outlet, “[Hammer] kind of captivates you and while being charming, he’s grooming you for these things that are darker and heavier and consuming. When I say consuming, I mean mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, just everything.”
“He sucks out all the goodness you have left,” she added. “That’s what he did to me. I gave and gave and gave until it hurt.”
In March that year another ex-girlfriend, Paige Lorenze told Vanity Fair, “You never know what you’re going to get with him—he’s kind of a scary person.”
On March 18, the woman behind the anonymous Instagram account revealed her identity, going by the name Effie. During a press conference alongside her attorney Gloria Allred, Effie accused Hammer of violently raping her in 2017. She also alleged that, “He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent. For example, he beat my feet with a crop so they would hurt with every step I took for the next week. During those four hours, I tried to get away but he wouldn’t let me. I thought that he was going to kill me.”
In a statement provided to People, Hammer’s lawyer vehemently denied the rape allegation and maintained that Hammer’s relationship with Effie was “completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.”
While Hammer has since admitted that the “power dynamics were off” in his relationships, he maintains that the rape allegations are false and denies any criminal wrongdoing.
Was Armie Hammer Investigated By Police?
Hours after Effie went public with her allegations, a spokesperson for the LAPD confirmed police were investigating Hammer in relation to an alleged sexual assault.
In April 2023, CNN reported that the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office was reviewing claims of sexual assault made against the actor. A month later, it was revealed that he would not face sexual assault charges brought against him by the DAO.
Tiffiny Blacknell, director of the bureau of communications, said this was, “due to the complexity of the relationship and inability to prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter we are unable to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“Sexual assault cases are often difficult to prove, which is why we assign our most experienced prosecutors to review them. In this case, those prosecutors conducted an extremely thorough review, but determined that at this time, there is insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Hammer with a crime,” said Blacknell.
“As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. We know that it is hard for women to report sexual assault,” Blacknell explained. “Even when we cannot move forward with a prosecution, our victim service representatives will be available to those who seek our victim support services.”
What Was The Armie Hammer Documentary?
In September 2022, Discovery+ released a three-part docuseries titled House of Hammer. The series chronicled the allegations levelled at Hammer and featured interviews with his ex-girlfriends, including Vucekovich and another named Julia Morrison.
Effie denounced the documentary, telling the Los Angeles Times, “The way they’ve been exploiting my trauma is disgusting.”
What Has Armie Hammer Said About The Allegations?
After largely speaking through lawyers, Hammer broke his silence on the allegations in 2023.
In an interview with Air Mail, a digital newsletter, he maintained that all sexual encounters were consensual but did acknowledge he was emotionally abusive in relationships. He also claimed he had been sexually abused by his pastor when he was 13, an experience he said, “introduced sexuality into my life in a way that it was completely out of my control.”
Most recently, he spoke with Tyler Ramsey on the Painful Lessons podcast.
“People called me a cannibal and everyone believed them,” Hammer told Ramsey. “Now I’m able to sort of look at it with a sense of distance and perspective and be like, ‘That’s hilarious’. They were like, ‘Yep, that guy ate people’ Like, what? What are you talking about? You know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to eat people! … It was bizarre.”
He also said that when the allegations first emerged, “It was an ego death, a career death … A neutron bomb went off in my life. It killed off [everything].”
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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