These past few years have been incredibly tumultuous for Armie Hammer as, in 2021, purported text messages from the actor were leaked online. Said messages included details of sexual fantasies that alluded to cannibalistic actions, rape and more. As time went on, others began to corroborate said DMs, which Hammer said were “bull.” Not too long after, the Hammer was accused of sexual assault by a woman simply identified as Effie. The actor subsequently dropped out of multiple projects and was cut from some as well. Now, Hammer is addressing the misconduct allegations while also opening up baout the child sexual abuse he experienced, an attempted suicide and more.
During a wide-ranging interview, Armie Hammer got real about the messages, which stem from his participation in B.D.S.M. relationships. Since the DMs were leaked, a number of other stories have surfaced, which allege that the actor did not always receive consent when it came to sexual activities. He now says that this was not the case and that he sought permission from his partners before engaging with them:
I have never thrust this on someone unexpectedly. Never. That’s a very important part of the B.D.S.M. world. The consent. Because you’re doing things that are pushing envelopes. You’re doing things that are beyond the [realm of] ‘Let’s have missionary sex with the lights off.’ You have to have that trust. You have to have that vulnerability with someone. You have to have that aspect of ‘I am willingly giving my control over to this person. You know, the sub [the submissive partner] is the one who actually has all the power. Always. They’re the ones who can say ‘stop’ at any moment. They’re the ones who set the boundaries.
The Social Network alum also claims that his desire for such relationships was, at least partially, born from an encounter he had when he was 13 years old. He says that a youth pastor at his family’s church sexually abused him for nearly a year. The actor would tell his parents about the alleged situation years later, though they apparently scoffed at the idea of a “Man of God” committing such an act. According to AirMail, the star also revealed the situation to a friend, who has since passed away, as well as godmother Candace Garvey, who backed up the claim. When discussing how the purported ordeal impacted him, the Critics’ Choice nominee said:
What that did for me was it introduced sexuality into my life in a way that it was completely out of my control. I was powerless in the situation. I had no agency in the situation. My interests then went to: I want to have control in the situation, sexually.
Since the allegations against Armie Hammer surfaced, he’s been living a very different kind of life and, at one point, rumors even suggested that he was laying low in the Cayman Islands. Hammer said, during this recent interview, that the situation took its toll on him emotionally. With that, he once engaged in what he referred to as an “attempted suicide”:
I just walked out into the ocean and swam out as far as I could and hoped that either I drowned, or was hit by a boat, or eaten by a shark. Then I realized that my kids were still on shore, and that I couldn’t do that to my kids.
Since the actor’s fall from grace, his reported encounters and interactions with women have been widely discussed. They also serve as the subject of the docuseries House of Hammer, which also sheds light on the Man from U.N.C.L.E. star’s family and the controversies that have befallen them over the years. A number of interviewees contributed to the doc, with his former partner, Courtney Vucekovich, even detailing an alleged biting story. When the series premiered in 2022, it was said that Armie Hammer was bracing himself for it.
Despite everything that’s occurred, the 36-year-old star seems to be in a better position from a mental standpoint. He’s since been to rehab, with his stay reportedly paid for by Robert Downey Jr. The star explained just why he now feels fortunate to have had his experiences:
I’m now grateful for everything that’s happened to me, because, as it says in the ‘Twelve and Twelve’ [Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, the guidebook of Alcoholics Anonymous], pain is the touchstone of spiritual progress. I’m now a healthier, happier, more balanced person. I’m able to be there for my kids in a way I never was. I’m able to be there for my dad as he’s dying in a way that I would have never been able to be. I’m truly grateful for my life and my recovery and everything. I would not go back and undo everything that’s happened to me.
Only time will tell how the comments on the misconduct allegations are received by those involved in the reported acts. Armie Hammer’s future in the entertainment industry is also still uncertain at this point. If anything though, it’s clear that he wanted to get these details off his chest and ultimately, discuss his account of events.
