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Movies

What Happened To Armie Hammer And Where Is He Now?

Armie Hammer in a blue shirt Mega/Getty Images
By Rick Stevenson/

This article contains references to domestic violence, suicide, and sexual assault.

Not long ago, Armie Hammer was one of the rising stars in Hollywood. A double role in David Fincher's acclaimed Facebook drama "The Social Network" in 2010 set him on a quick path to stardom. In the decade after, he co-starred with Timothée Chalamet in "Call Me by Your Name," appeared alongside Henry Cavill in the Guy Ritchie spy thriller "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," and played the eponymous Wild West hero in 2013's "The Lone Ranger," among other roles. But none of those movies' plots are quite as dramatic as the story of how Hammer fell from box-office stalwart to Hollywood pariah.

In 2021, an anonymous Instagram account began publishing screenshots of text exchanges it claimed were sent between Hammer and a number of women. They detailed strange and, at times, violent sexual fantasies. In the months after, various women came forward to accuse the actor of abusive behavior. One ex told Page Six that Hammer had branded her with a knife during their relationship, carving his first initial into her skin. She also alleged that he had broached the topic of cannibalism, saying that he would like to remove and eat one of her ribs. Another ex shared a similar experience. In a January 2024 episode of "This is The Worst Podcast," comedian Brittany Schmitt said that she witnessed these same kinds of kinks during her own relationship with Hammer, but emphasized that everything she experienced was consensual.

As a result, Hammer was downplayed in the marketing for "Death on the Nile" – his last feature film to date — and removed from several other projects that had yet to start filming. So, where's he been since?

Armie Hammer dodged jail time, but his reputation remains in tatters

Armie Hammer wearing sunglasses Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images

Throughout his fall from grace, Armie Hammer has repeatedly denied any claims of cruel or illegal behavior, asserting through his attorneys that his more extreme sexual encounters with partners were fully consensual. Amidst the many allegations, another woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2017, prompting an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Hammer — a descendant of American business magnate Armand Hammer — ultimately was not charged with any criminal acts due to a lack of verifiable evidence.

In the years since the first accusations arose, various outlets have reexamined Hammer's past quotes for new meaning. In a 2013 interview with Playboy (via E! News), he described himself as a "dominant lover" before he met his then-wife, saying, "I liked the grabbing of the neck and the hair and all that. But then you get married and your sexual appetites change. And I mean that for the better—it's not like I'm suffering in any way. But you can't really pull your wife's hair." Per The Independent, Hammer also chose the infamous Marquis de Sade — the man whose acts inspired the creation of the word "sadism" — as the historical figure he'd most like to have dinner with, in an interview with Netflix Brazil.

Though there haven't been any lasting legal ramifications to the many allegations leveraged against Hammer, his acting career was effectively frozen when they began pouring in. For the last few years, his name hasn't appeared in any notable credits aside from "Death on the Nile."

What has Armie Hammer been doing since the scandal?

Armie Hammer poses on the beach Armie Hammer/Instagram

In the immediate aftermath of the 2021 allegations, Armie Hammer retreated from public life. A report from Variety in July 2022 — more than a year later — claimed that he was living in the Cayman Islands, working at a resort and selling timeshares. In November 2023, Hammer returned to Instagram after wiping his profile clean of all previous material. His first post back showed him riding on a train while watching a strange video of a man racing a horse on his laptop. Hammer's divorce from his ex-wife, Elizabeth Chambers, was finalized in June 2023. Chambers had filed for divorce shortly before the initial scandal broke in 2021.

In February 2023, Hammer gave an exclusive interview with the newsletter Air Mail, in which he addressed his many controversies and the allegations against him (via Business Insider). Again, he claimed that he only ever took part in consensual BDSM activities. He also told a story about being sexually assaulted by a youth pastor when he was 13 and said that in the wake of the scandal, he contemplated suicide.

Though he's slowly returned to public life, it seems highly unlikely that Hammer will return to acting any time soon. His representation dropped him when the allegations first came out back in 2021, and even though no criminal charges were ever brought against him in court, his image likely remains far too controversial for any studio or agency to want to touch.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, has been a victim of sexual assault, or is struggling or in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

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