Armie Hammer, an actor who earned critical acclaim for films such as The Social Network and Call Me by Your Name, has fallen from grace due to this scandal. In early 2021, Hammer was accused of violent sexual assault. The woman gave a detailed report in a press conference of her relationship and encounters with Hammer, and a formal investigation began.
While dealing with the sexual assault accusation and investigation, Hammer was also facing rumors from social media. Many women he had previously interacted with accused him of having a cannibalism and sadist kink, which he had supposedly forced on them against their will. Texts that were claimed to be from Hammer were released to the public showcasing these dark fantasies. Is Hammer's career in Hollywood over because of this scandal? Let's break down what exactly happened and where Hammer now stands.
Armie Hammer's Famous Fetish
The rumors that eventually led to the fall of Armie Hammer began way back in 2017. Fans began to notice weird behavior of the actor on social media and called him out for it.
Hammer liked several rope bondage tweets in 2017, implying that he was a fan of the kink. Fans found it odd that he was being so public about such a private matter, but he continued to behave oddly on social media for several years.
One notably odd post Hammer made occurred in 2019. Fans were disturbed when Hammer shared a video of his toddler sucking on his toes, especially when the words "foot fetish" were included in the caption.
Speculation of Hammer's sexual preferences and kinks came to a head in January 2021 when texts reportedly sent from the actor were leaked on social media. The leaked texts described a serious sadist and cannibalistic kink.
Women Hammer had previously been in relationships with began chiming in, not only accusing him of this dark kink, but also of emotional and psychological abuse.
Things only went downhill for Hammer from there.
What Was Armie Hammer Accused Of?
After years of rumors about kinks and abuse, Armie Hammer was formally accused of violent rape and physical abuse in March 2021.
A woman named Effie came forward in an online press conference, claiming that during their four-year on-and-off relationship, she had been assaulted by Hammer.
Effie claimed she had first met Hammer on social media in 2016 when she was only 20 years old. The timeline Effie shared meant that Hammer had also cheated on his wife, Elizabeth Chambers, whom he had been married to since 2010. Hammer and Chambers split in 2020.
"I fell in love with him instantly," Effie said during her press conference about Hammer.
"Looking back, it is now clear to me he was employing manipulation tactics in order to exert control over me, until I started to lose myself. He would often test my devotion to him, slyly removing and crossing my boundaries, as he became increasingly more violent. He abused me mentally, emotionally, and sexually."
"On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently ramped me for over four hours in Los Angeles, during which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall, bruising my face. He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent."
"I thought he was going to kill me."
The Los Angeles Police Department began a thorough investigation into Hammer and Effie's relationship.
Is Armie Hammer Going To Prison?
After a thorough investigation into Armie Hammer's relationship with Effie and her accusations of sexual assault, the Los Angeles district attorney's office has chosen to not press charges against the actor.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office named Tiffany Blacknell made the announcement on May 31st, 2023 that Hammer is completely a free man.
It had been determined that there was "insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Hammer with a crime" due to the "complexity" of the relationship with Effie.
Furthermore, prosecutors had been unable to prove "a nonconsensual, forcible sexual encounter."
Hammer responded to the news on his social media, thanking prosecutors for "coming to the conclusion that I have stood by this entire time, that no crime was committed."
The actor is eager for "what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared."
Is Armie Hammer Done With Hollywood?
Though Armie Hammer is no longer living in fear of going to prison, he may not want to return to the entertainment industry after everything that happened with the scandal.
Following the accusation and announcement of a criminal investigation, Discovery+ announced that they would be created a documentary about Armie Hammer and his family.
The documentary, which was not released until September 2022, went deep into his family's history of criminal acts and sadistic behavior.
Some of the highlights of the documentary included the revelation that many of Hammer's family members had been involved in sexual scandals, his family reportedly laundered money, and one family member even killed a man without any legal repercussions.
The scandal caused Hammer to drastically alter his course of life. He was dropped by his agent and left multiple projects, including the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding, which he was set to star in.
Hammer was also forced to re-think his career in Hollywood. He reportedly has become a timeshare salesman and spends a great deal of time in the Cayman Islands away from prying eyes.
The actor has also shared his interest in becoming a sober companion for others, since he has undergone treatment and wants to help others on their journey to sobriety.
Though he is now a free man, he is still left to deal with the fallout of the accusations and the Discovery+ documentary.
Death on the Nile may be the last time anyone sees Hammer on the big screen.
