For Millennials. By Millennials.
The controversy around actor Armie Hammer has thickened as a 24-year-old woman has accused Hammer of rape. She made the allegations in a virtual conference on Thursday, claiming that the sexual assault occurred in Los Angeles back in 2017.
Armie Hammer accused of rape
The Los Angeles police said that they’re investigating Hammer as a suspect in a sexual assault since February 3rd. The accuser, a 24-year-old named Effie (no surname revealed), broke down while reading her prepared statement against the actor. Effie first met Hammer back in 2016, when she was 20 years old, and said she “fell in love with him instantly”. But, she also revealed that with the progress of their relationship, Hammer used “manipulation tactics in order to exert control over me”. According to her, he would:
… test (her) devotion to him, finally removing and crossing (her) boundaries as he became increasingly more violent.
All this culminated in the alleged rape on April 24, 2017. Before you proceed with the article, let us remind you that the following statement can be graphic and the reader’s discretion is advised. Effie revealed:
Armie Hammer raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles, during which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall, bruising my face. During those four hours, I tried to get away and he wouldn’t let me. I thought that he was going to kill me. He then left with no concern for my wellbeing. I was completely in shock and I couldn’t believe that someone I loved did that to me.
Effie also accused Armie Hammer of abusing her “mentally, emotionally and sexually”. And after the alleged rape, she felt suicidal and “immense guilt” at not speaking out sooner.
The actor’s response
In response, the Call Me By Your Name actor has denied these allegations through his lawyer Andrew Brettler. The statement emphasized that all of Hammer’s relationships have been “completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory”. Brettler further sent a string of screengrabs to the BBC which depicted that the accuser showcased extreme sexual behavior. Upon witnessing such behavior, Hammer made it clear he had no interest in continuing such a relationship. The statement further read:
[Her] attention-seeking and ill-advised legal bid will only make it more difficult for real victims of sexual violence to get the justice they deserve.
These Armie Hammer’s sexual assault allegations are not an isolated incident, unfortunately. This January, leaked private DMs suggested that Hammer had graphic sexual fantasies, which included cannibalism. His ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers, who divorced him in July 2002, also spoke up against his behavior. And one of his exes also shared a story of horrific abuse that she went through with Hammer.
