His rise to the top of Hollywood was the stuff of movie magic, going almost overnight from unknown actor to the hottest property in town. But no sooner had Armie Hammer found success than he quickly lost it again – after facing a litany of shocking allegations of rape, abuse and even cannibalism in 2021. As the claims and accusations were stacked against him, the former actor went from A-list to blacklist, and duly retreated from the spotlight. The last we’d heard about him, he was reportedly selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands.
But now Armie has shocked us all by reemerging from self-exile to tell his side of the story. Sitting down with best friend Tyler Ramsey on the latter’s podcast, Painful Lessons, the disgraced actor said he was surprisingly “grateful” for the career-ending claims and allegations he’d faced, as they’d taught him how to go within to find “self-validation” – having always sought it from external sources in the past. He added that he’d put the past three years to good use – going to rehab for his “addictive behaviours”, spending quality time with his kids, and being a caregiver for his father, businessman Armand Hammer, who died of brain cancer in November 2022.
As for his “career death”, he acknowledged that he was “not a viable commodity for the entertainment industry in terms of the Hollywood system,” adding, “I’ve decided I’ll try to make my own sandbox – if you won’t let me play in yours, I’ll go play in mine.” To that end, he said, he’d been working on a script that’s loosely based on his life.
The fallen star didn’t embellish further, but – according to insiders – his decision to appear on his friend’s podcast and speak about the abuse and cannibalism allegations was actually the first step in a slow, but steady comeback. While Armie might be saying he’s given up on Hollywood, what he isn’t telling us is that he’s in no way prepared to admit defeat and is hoping that, with no criminal charges filed against him, there’s still some hope of public redemption.
“Armie feels very wronged,” says an insider close to the 37 year old, who made a name for himself in movies including The Social Network, Mirror Mirror, and Call Me By Your Name. “He’s always taken his craft incredibly seriously, and – although he understands that the allegations against him were shocking and had to be investigated – he genuinely thought things would go back to normal for him last year after the District Attorney announced he wouldn’t face criminal charges. But he’s still effectively cancelled and continues to get doors slammed in his face. He isn’t anywhere near giving up, though. He’s desperate for a comeback and is ready to go on an interview blitz. It’s just a matter of finding the right people to speak to, because in the wrong hands, any interview he gives could do more harm than good.”
It was just three years ago that Armie had the world at his feet. Despite announcing his split from wife Elizabeth Chambers – with whom he shares two children, Harper, nine, and Ford, seven – in 2020, his career seemed to be soaring. Upcoming projects included the romcom Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez, and a starring role in The Godfather spin-off, The Offer. But in early 2021, his career and life took a nosedive after a string of allegations surfaced. First, an anonymous woman appeared on Instagram under the name @houseofeffie, claiming she’d had a four-year long affair with the actor, during which time he expressed rape fantasies, cannibalism fantasies, and a desire to drink her blood. Then, more women came forward, corroborating her claims and saying he’d subjected them to emotional abuse and sexual coercion, claiming he’d tied them up and tortured them for sexual gratification. In response, Armie bowed out of his upcoming acting projects, but argued against the claims of abuse – stating that all BDSM acts he’d partaken in were always “completely consensual”.
He did, however, acknowledge that there had been an “imbalance of power” in several of his relationships – which he’d had while still married to his now ex-wife – and suggested that his interest in BDSM was the result of his own sexual abuse at the hands of a pastor at the age of 13. Armie hasn’t acted since and, with reports flying that he was heavily in debt, he was said to be working as a concierge at a hotel in The Cayman Islands, where his children live with their mother, before going on to sell timeshares.
But then last year, we’re told, heralded a turning point for the actor, after authorities announced there was “insufficient evidence” to pursue any criminal charges against him. Since then, he’s apparently been biding his time – all the while knowing that the only way to pursue a path forward is to do so with public forgiveness and approval.
“From Armie’s standpoint, it’s very unfair that he was cast out of Hollywood – but it’s been a valuable learning tool because it pushed him to get help for his issues,” says our source. “The way he tells it, he’s now turned his life around for the better and he’s very motivated to get his career back on track. He’s written a script with a friend, and he’s pushing to get it made, but the only way he can do that is to get the public back on his side. No studio is going to bet on him if he can’t prove the audience will come to see his movies. He’s testing the waters and hoping that enough time has gone by that people will forget about all the women that spoke out and accept that he’s a changed man.”
Speaking on the podcast last week, Armie reflected, “Whatever was said, whatever happened, whoever was involved, they were all, sort of in a grand cosmic sense, elements of me learning the lessons I had to learn anyway. Instead of being resentful toward these people, maybe there’s a way I can be grateful for it.”
All that, we imagine, hinges on whether he can reclaim the life he lost – with all the money, success and acclaim he had along the way. If he does manage to do so, we’re sure he’d have every reason to feel very grateful indeed.