In early January, Armie Hammer became the subject of a social media firestorm after alleged Instagram DMs (a lot of them) circulated about his sex life and alleged cannibal fantasies. In response, he described the controversy as “bullsh*t” as he dropped out of an action-comedy movie called Shotgun Wedding. While the subject continued to swirl, Hammer’s agents and publicist dropped him. Fast forward a few months, and a woman named Effie (the same woman who initially anonymously posted allegations) has come forward to publicly accuse Hammer of rape.
The Hollywood Reporter reports word from a press conference led by attorney Gloria Allred. Her client stated that she was held captive by Hammer for four hours, during which Effie (who lives in Europe) stated that “I tried to get away but he wouldn’t let me. I thought he was going to kill me.” Here’s more from the press conference:
“On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped 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.”
Effie further alleges that Hammer beat her feet with a riding crop, “so they would hurt” when she walked. She states that after four hours of violence, “[he] left with no concern for my well-being.” She alleges that the experience left her suicidal, and “I tried so hard to justify his actions, even to the point of responding to him in a way that did not reflect my true feelings.”
Variety has published a photo (shared by Allred) that shows Effie and Hammer posing together during an undisclosed time period. As for how Effie met Hammer, Effie explained that she first messaged with him in 2016 on Facebook, and the two had an on-and-off relationship fo four years. THR reports a statement from Hammer’s lawyer (Andrew Brettler), who says that his client denies the allegations against him. Hammer’s attorney states that Effie’s “own correspondence [through July 2020] with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations.” The attorney also claims that Effie sent Hammer “hundreds” of “graphic” texts, to which Brettler says Hammer “responded making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her.”
During the press conference, Allred stated (via Variety) that Effie has provided photos of her “visible injuries” and other evidence of Hammer’s alleged abuse to police. TMZ notes that law enforcement is investigating Effie’s allegations against the actor. Deadline further reports, via LAPD Officer Drake Madison, “We can confirm that Armie Hammier is the named suspect in an alleged sexual assault investigation, initiated on February 3, 2021.” Additionally, Deadline details where the investigation may go from here:
The probe by the LAPD will be submitted to LA County D.A. George Gascón’s “fairly soon,” a law enforcement source said to Deadline, The D.A.’s office and its sex crimes unit would then have to assess the material and recommendations from the LAPD to see if they would proceed with criminal charges. Charges that could land Hammer behind bars for up to eight years if found guilty.
Recently, Vanity Fair reported that Hammer’s estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, filed for divorce after he sent her a raunchy text that he intended for another woman.
(Via Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TMZ & Deadline)