Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual assault, with details.
Armie Hammer has recently spoken about his Hollywood downfall, comparing his professional exile to being crucified. The Social Network actor was accused of rape, physical abuse, and cannibalistic fantasies in 2021. While he continues to deny the allegations against him, the 39-year-old admitted that he believes he contributed to the problems he faced.
Armie Hammer discusses his career collapse after the cannibalism scandal and implies he was publicly crucified
In a bizarre interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on June 16, Armie Hammer shared that his father, Michael Armand, who died at 67 in 2022 after a battle with cancer, advised him to push back against his accusers, but he refused. “I said: ‘Look, dude, I’m already on the cross. The nails are in my hands. I’m not getting off this cross no matter what we do. And the more I struggle, the longer I’m going to be up here.”‘
Speaking about his downfall, he said, “This didn’t happen to me by a fluke accident. I didn’t do what people are saying I did. But I brought very dangerous and unsafe people into my life, and I pissed off people in my life — and here we are.”
According to People, in January 2021, multiple women accused The Social Network actor of misconduct, sharing alleged messages referencing BDSM and cannibalistic fantasies. His former girlfriend, Courtney Vucekovich, alleged that “their romance was like dating a wannabe Hannibal Lecter.” After the allegations, he was dropped by his agency and publicist and had to step out from several projects, including Shotgun Wedding opposite Jennifer Lopez.
In March 2021, a woman named Effie formally accused him of rape and other acts of violence during their on-and-off four-year relationship, a period during which he was married to Elizabeth Chambers. He was also accused by Effie Angelova, who first made allegations in January, of physically and sexually assaulting her during a four-hour incident in 2017.
In a statement to People, Andrew Brettler, lawyer for Hammer, denied the allegations and said the actor’s relationship with Effie was “completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.” In April 2023, he was under investigation over sexual assault allegations. Despite the probe, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against him.
The actor is now making a return to the acting world with the upcoming film Citizen Vigilante, directed by Uwe Boll. Notably, his great-grandfather, oil tycoon Armand Hammer, reportedly left an $800 million fortune after his death in December 1990, from which Armie’s father inherited $180 million, according to the Daily Mail.
Have you or someone you love been sexually assaulted or abused? You are not alone. Contact RAINN 24/7 to connect with a real, live person who’s trained to help. https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/.
Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta for Mandatory
