Police have confirmed Armie Hammer is under investigation after being accused of rape.
Armie Hammer
The 'Call Me By Your Name' actor was alleged to have subjected a woman known only as Effie to a four-hour ordeal in 2017, and after the 24 year old came forward to detail her allegations on Thursday (18.03.21), LAPD officers have confirmed the 34-year-old star is the suspect in an investigation which was opened on 3 February.
During a press conference alongside her lawyer, Gloria Allred, Effie accused Hammer of "mentally, emotionally, and sexually abusing" her during a four-year on/off relationship, at the time of which the actor was still married to Elizabeth Chambers.
She also alleged: “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 told reporters she thought the 'Rebecca' actor was “going to kill” her, and claimed he beat her feet during the alleged attack “so they would hurt” and said she tried to leave “but he wouldn’t let” her.
Effie alleges she met Hammer on Facebook when she was 20, and admitted to falling in love with the actor, although she now believes she fell victim to “manipulation tactics”.
She claimed: “He would often test my devotion to him. He abused me mentally, emotionally and sexually.”
However, Hammer has already denied the allegations made against him, and his lawyer has provided screenshots of alleged text conversations between him and Effie, which seemingly suggest he told her they couldn’t pursue a relationship, though these are not verified.
In one message, Hammer allegedly told Effie: “I am not going to be able to engage in you in that specific way right now. It never ends well. We can talk and be friends, but I can’t do that.”
The actor’s lawyer also said Hammer’s encounter with Effie was “completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory”.
In a statement, the lawyer said: “Effie’s own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations. As recently as July 18, 2020, [she] sent graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her. Mr. Hammer responded, making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her.
“It was never Mr. Hammer’s intention to embarrass or expose [Effie’s] fetishes or kinky sexual desires, but she has now escalated this matter to another level by hiring a civil lawyer to host a public press conference. With the truth on his side, Mr. Hammer welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight.
“From day one, Mr. Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with [Effie] — and every other sexual partner of his for that matter — have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory. [Effie’s] 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.”
Effie’s allegations come after an Instagram account named House of Effie sparked reports about Hammer’s alleged sexual behaviour when they posted a series of unverified direct messages allegedly from the actor, which referenced cannibalistic fantasies.
Following the scandal, Hammer left his upcoming film 'Shotgun Wedding' - which also stars Jennifer Lopez - because he didn't want to be away from his children amid the "vicious and spurious online attacks".
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