The Los Angeles County D.A.’s workplace has determined to not file sexual assault prices towards actor Armie Hammer, following a prolonged investigation by the LAPD.
In an announcement, the D.A.’s workplace mentioned it couldn’t show rape allegations past an inexpensive doubt, partially as a result of “complexity of the relationship” between Hammer and the accuser.
The accuser, who was beforehand recognized as Effie, reported Hammer to the police in February 2021. She alleged that Hammer had been bodily abusive throughout an on-and-off relationship that spanned 4 years, and mentioned that he had violently raped her in 2017. Hammer vehemently denied her allegations.
The D.A.’s workplace mentioned that it assigns skilled prosecutors to evaluation sexual assault investigations.
“In this case, those prosecutors conducted an extremely thorough review, but determined that at this time, there is insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Hammer with a crime,” the workplace mentioned. “As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt… Due to the complexity of the relationship and inability to prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter we are unable to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Following Effie’s accusation and people of different ladies, Hammer’s profession has been severely broken. Hammer — who starred in “The Social Network” and “Call Me by Your Name” — has not labored in Hollywood since allegations surfaced in early 2021.
Allegations towards Hammer first exploded on social media by way of an Instagram account run by Effie. Other ladies quickly joined with their very own allegations on social media, making a flurry of viral headlines, together with accusations of cannibalistic and BDSM fetishes that ladies mentioned have been used as a smokescreen for emotional and bodily abuse.
Hammer was dropped by his company, WME, and was fired from all of his TV and movie initiatives on deck. He has not acted because the allegations hit, and has solely been featured in a single film, Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” which might have been too costly to re-shoot, although Hammer didn’t take part in any press for the February 2022 movie.
Hammer has constantly denied any wrongdoing, and has maintained that each one sexual relationships have been consensual. He gave his first interview this February the place he mentioned contemplated suicide after the scandal erupted. He denied legal wrongdoing, however admitted to being “an asshole” and “selfish” and dwelling a “very intense and extreme lifestyle.”
“Every single thing was discussed beforehand…I have never thrust this on someone unexpectedly. Never,” Hammer mentioned to Air Mail. “I would scoop up these women, bring them into it — into this whirlwind of travel and sex and drugs and big emotions flying around — and then as soon as I was done, I’d just drop them off and move on to the next woman, leaving that woman feeling abandoned or used.”
In that interview, Hammer mentioned he has improved by means of his restoration, and has been working as a sober companion to a fellow recovering addict out of rehab. He mentioned Robert Downey Jr. had been supporting him by means of rehab. He additionally spoke towards “cancel culture” within the Air Mail interview, saying, “The minute anyone does anything wrong, they’re thrown away. There’s no chance for rehabilitation.”
After Effie had reported Hammer to the police, she retained lawyer Gloria Allred, who appeared together with her throughout a March 2021 press convention through which Effie claimed she had been the sufferer of psychological, emotional and sexual abuse. “I thought he was going to kill me,” Effie mentioned on the time.
Allred confirmed to Variety in September 2022 that she now not represents Effie, commenting, “I have no additional comment, except to say that the allegation that she fired me is absolutely false.”
Hammer was the topic of a three-part documentary, “House of Hammer” on Discovery+, which delved deeply into accusations raised by two different ladies. The docuseries additionally coated Hammer’s household historical past; he’s the great-grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer. (Allred appeared as a speaking head in “House of Hammer,” and Effie condemned her on-camera look afterword.)
Hammer’s attorneys have adamantly denied the allegations as “outrageous” from the start, stating that the actor’s relationship with Effie was fully consensual. They additionally launched textual content messages from Hammer to Effie, through which he appeared to reject her sexual requests: “I am not going to be able to engage in you in that specific way right now,” he wrote in one of many messages. Hammer’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, mentioned that Effie continued to ship “graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her” after she alleges she was raped.
“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,” Brettler beforehand mentioned in an announcement to Variety. “[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.”
The D.A.’s workplace mentioned that it acknowledges that it’s troublesome for girls to report sexual assault, and mentioned that sufferer help providers can be found even when prices are usually not filed.
Hammer launched an announcement on Instagram, saying “I am very grateful to the District Attorney for conducting a thorough investigation and coming to the conclusion that I have stood by this entire time, that no crime was committed. I look forward to beginning what will be a long difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared.”