Armie Hammer has spoken.
The struggling actor gave his first interview since a sex abuse scandal blasted his life, Hollywood career and marriage, by sitting down with Graydon writer James Kirchick Carter’s. air mail. In exclusive chat, Hammer responds at length to allegations of sexual misconduct, denying any criminal wrongdoing while taking responsibility for being a selfish “asshole” who used people and move on, challenging the rape allegation by providing Kirchick with direct messages from the accuser, and providing an update on his recovery.
The bigger bombs came when Hammer told Kirchick that his preference for BDSM and sexual drive was the result of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a youth pastor who suffered allegedly sexually abused him when he was 13 years old. He also first revealed his intention to commit suicide in the Cayman Islands in February 2021 by swimming out to sea as far as possible and hoping he will die due to a tragedy such as drowning, shark attack or boat accident. .
Of the alleged childhood trauma, Hammer said, “What it did to me was that it introduced sex into my life in a way that was completely out of my control. I was helpless in this situation. I have no authority in the situation. Sex comes to me in a scary way that I can’t control. Then my preferences switched: I wanted to take control of the situation, sexually. The article states that Hammer confided in an elderly friend, who had passed away, and a godmother, Candace Garvey, who confirmed the account to Air mail.
Regarding the incident, which Kirchick describes in the work as “suicidal thoughts,” Hammer suggested, “I just stepped out into the ocean and swam as far as I could and hoped that I either drowned, or got hit by a boat. , or be eaten. by a shark. Then I realized that my children were still on the shore and I couldn’t do that with my children.”
The first time the public became aware of Hammer’s troubles was in January 2021 when several women made allegations of misconduct and messages containing fantasies about BDSM and cannibalism. fellow. The most damaging allegations come from a woman whose social media account is called House of Effie. She alleges that Hammer sexually assaulted her and that they had a relationship that lasted many years. Effie, who has been identified by her real name Efrosina Angelova, hired attorney Gloria Allred, but no charges were brought in the case. She and Allred eventually broke up. Each air mail story, Angelova did not respond to many of Kirchick’s requests for comment and blocked the writer on Instagram after he raised detailed questions.
Hammer’s headlines have spread far and wide, and he has been dropped by talent management agency WME, his personal journalist, and popular acting projects including Unexpected wedding opposite Jennifer Lopez, gas opposite Julia Roberts and Sean Penn, Godfather– inspired by the Paramount+ . series Endow and Taika Waititi’s Next target wins. He and his wife Elizabeth Chambers announced their separation in 2020, amid rumors of infidelity and substance abuse. air mail confirmed that Hammer was registered for substance abuse treatment in May 2021.
Kirchick’s report in air mail Angelova’s claims dispute. The writer details the direct messages he received that Angelova sent to Chambers, Hammer’s then-wife, revealing the affair and allegedly wrote, “I’ve been chasing him quite a bit. .” Per Hammer, the sexual encounter she called rape was a “scene” they had staged in advance.
“She planned every detail, from which Starbucks I would meet her, how I would follow her home, how to open and lock her front door and I would walk in, and how we would attend. engage in what. called the ‘non-consensual scene’, CNC,” says Hammer of the known folding operation. “Everything has been discussed in advance. I’ve never thrown this at someone by surprise. Never.”
Hammer also responded to allegations from two women with whom he was romantically linked, Courtney Vucekovich and Paige Lorenze, who both declined to comment on the story or did not respond to requests. Vucekovich appears prominently in the Discovery+ archives Hammer House as she details their month-long relationship and BDSM activity. He said: “I would have younger women in my 20s and I’m in my 30s. “I was a successful actress at the time. They may be happy to be with me and will say yes to things they probably wouldn’t say yes to alone. It’s an imbalance of power in this situation.”
According to Kirchick, Hammer was then asked if he had “emotionally abused” women, and the actor replied, “One million percent.”
“I’m here to admit my mistakes, take responsibility for the fact that I’m an asshole, that I’m selfish, that I’ve used people to make me feel better, and when I’m done, I continue,” Hammer continued. “I am a healthier, happier and more balanced person now. I can be there for my children in a way that I have never been. I’m really grateful for my life and my recovery and everything. I will not go back and undo everything that happened to me.
As for what’s going on with him, Hammer tells the writer in general that he finds purpose in helping a recovering addict friend on his journey to sobriety, as substance abuse has played an important role in Hammer’s life and troubles. “I’m going to move in with him and live with him, get him into a healthy routine, put him on a good schedule. [recovery] meetings, take him to the gym, cook him healthy food,” he says of serving as a sober companion. “It seems my recovery has shifted from being someone who needs help staying sane to being able to help others.”
According to one Vanity Fair reported, Hammer was Robert Downey Jr. help in her recovery journey, who has faced a drug and alcohol breakdown but has emerged as an advocate for sobriety and a support system for many people struggling.
Hammer mentioned Downey when talking about cancellation culture. “There are examples everywhere, Robert [Downey Jr.] was one of them, who went through those things and found redemption through a new path. And I feel that’s what’s missing from this culture of cancellation, the wake-up crowd. As soon as anyone does something wrong, they are thrown away. There is no chance for recovery.”
Hammer’s voice isn’t the only voice quoted in the story. Kirchick also interviewed Howard Rosenman, a producer on Luca Guadagnino’s Call me by your name starring Hammer opposite Timothée Chalamet. “All [the allegations are] Roseman said. Kirchick also checked the name of notable sex and relationships columnist Dan Savage, who commented on the public response to Hammer’s story to the point of shame. “What a trap to be rich, famous and eccentric. … Like eccentric celebrities the same way gay celebrities were a generation or two ago.”
The full story can be read on air mail.
