A social media firestorm broke out last month, when unverified screenshots allegedly captured Armie Hammer engaged in quasi- or non-consensual sexual domination, slave play, knife play, and drinking blood. One ex-partner said he wanted to “break my rib and barbecue and eat it,” while another claimed his sexting included a request to cut off her toe. This has led some to call him a cannibal and others to accuse him of sexual abuse. On February 4th, via Variety, Hammer denied all allegations through his attorney, calling the accusations “patently untrue.”
While many of the facts remain clouded in mystery, it is undoubtedly true that the scandal has damaged Hammer’s career. So far he’s been forced to exit the Jennifer Lopez film Shotgun Wedding as well as a series about making The Godfather entitled The Offer. Upon bowing out of Lionsgate’s Shotgun Wedding, he said, “I’m not responding to these bullshit claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic.”
Now, his attorney Andrew Brettler has issued a response. “The stories being perpetuated in the media are a misguided attempt to present a one-sided narrative with the goal of tarnishing Mr. Hammer’s reputation, and communications from the individuals involved prove that.” Brettler confirmed that Hammer had committed infidelities, but denied the more serious charges of sexual assault, saying that all of the sexual activities were, “completely consensual in that they were fully discussed, agreed upon, and mutually participatory.”
One source close to Hammer told Variety that his kinks shouldn’t be taken literally. “He has never eaten human flesh, he has never drank blood, he has never cut off a toe, he has never locked anybody in a cage, or whatever else is in these crazy messages. These messages definitely shouldn’t be taken literally – even if he did text them.” The source continued, “People think that kinky sex is weird and taboo, and maybe it is to most people, but clearly there are adults who engage in it and enjoy it.”
But several women who reportedly spoke to Variety said Hammer’s “sexual proclivities are being used as a smokescreen, and are accusing him of emotional abuse, manipulation and coercion.” Also concerning are videos posted to Hammer’s private Instagram account that show him snorting drugs, drinking behind the wheel, and bragging about passing a drug test
Reportedly, Hammer is still being partially compensated for Shotgun Wedding, which suggests that while Lionsgate doesn’t want him anywhere near the set, they don’t think the publicly available information is enough to trigger whatever ‘good behavior’ clauses his contract contains. Apart from his initial statement that it’s all “bullshit,” Armie Hammer has personally declined to comment.
