Armie Hammer has said he experienced suicidal thoughts after being accused of rape and also revealed that he was sexually abused when he was 13.
The Call Me By Your Name actor had been accused of rape and sexual misconduct in 2021 by multiple women, most notably by a woman named Effie who alleged that Hammer had raped her and “committed other acts of violence” against her in 2017. Hammer was subsequently dropped by his agent and publicist and exited multiple projects, including Lionsgate comedy Shotgun Wedding and Godfather mini-series The Offer. He was later dropped from Billion Dollar Spy.
Hammer made these revelations in his first interview since the allegations of rape surfaced, which he gave to the digital newsletter Air Mail. He denied any criminal wrongdoing, but did admit that he had “one million per cent” emotionally abused two women, Courtney Vucekovich and Paige Lorenze, who had accused him of sexual misconduct. In both relationships he had with those women, he said that “the power dynamics were off”.
“I would have these younger women in their mid-20s, and I’m in my 30s. I was a successful actor at the time,” he said. “They could have been happy to just be with me and would have said yes to things that maybe they wouldn’t have said yes to on their own,” Hammer says. “That’s an imbalance of power in the situation.”
He put down this behaviour to “being an asshole”, adding: “I’m here to own my mistakes, take accountability for the fact that I was an asshole, that I was selfish, that I used people to make me feel better, and when I was done, moved on.
“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 truly grateful for my life and my recovery and everything. I would not go back and undo everything that’s happened to me.”
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He also recalled attempting suicide in the wake of the allegations while in the Cayman Islands in February 2021. “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,” he said. “Then I realized that my kids were still on shore, and that I couldn’t do that to my kids.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hammer said that he was drawn to the world of BDSM because of the sexual abuse he had experienced. He was accused in January 2021 of having cannibalistic fetishes.
“What that did for me was it introduced sexuality into my life in a way that it was completely out of my control,” he said. “I was powerless in the situation. I had no agency in the situation. Sexuality was introduced to me in a scary way where I had no control. My interests then went to: I want to have control in the situation, sexually.”
The outlet reported that Hammer had only ever told two people about his experience of sexual abuse and that it corroborated the story with his godmother. He had also told an older friend what happened, who has since died.
A three-part documentary series, House of Hammer, aired last year, which explored the accusations of sexual abuse against the actor.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
For help and advice on mental health:
- ‘Am I depressed?‘ – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day