Armie Hammer denies cannibalism claims, says Robert Downey Jr. 'did not' pay for rehab stint
Armie Hammer denied cannibalism accusations and acknowledged Robert Downey Jr. was supportive of his rehab stint after a brutal public scandal in 2021.
Disgraced actor Armie Hammer addressed a number of allegations during an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored."
The "Call Me by Your Name" star was accused of sexual assault in 2017 by a former girlfriend, who also claimed Hammer raped her "violently" and "for over four hours."
His career derailed following a series of text messages that allegedly detailed sexual fantasies, including references to rape, violence and cannibalism. They were leaked online by an anonymous Instagram account named "House of Effie."
"You know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to have actually eaten someone," Hammer bluntly told Morgan.
"This was a very intense affair — very sexually charged — between two people with very similar proclivities and kinks," he said of his relationship with the woman, who later identified herself as Efrosina "Effie" Angelova.
"Any of those conversations that we [he and Angelova] had inside of that relationship, when you take them outside of that context and put them into broad daylight, it doesn’t look so good."
Hammer admitted that "different people have different sexual fantasies," while addressing role-play and BDSM.
"There’s a very broad spectrum of sexuality, and people are allowed to engage with their own sexuality however it fits them and what they do," he said. The idea of cannibalism during role-play was "just sort of born out of a desire, to sort of like, ‘I want you so completely,' and ‘I want you so totally’ that it's almost like ‘I want to eat you.’"
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Another ex-girlfriend, Paige Lorenze, accused Hammer of branding her with a knife. He said the situation was "such a small thing."
"I wouldn’t say brand. No. … There was a scenario that we talked about beforehand, that we had discussed where, you know, I would basically take a little, tiny point and just kind of trace the letter 'A,'" Hammer said. "Just like the tip of a small knife. … I mean, there wasn’t even blood in the situation. It was more like a scrape. It’s along the lines of couples getting their own initials tattooed on each other."
His ex-wife, Elizabeth Chambers, filed for divorce in 2020, months before abuse, rape and cannibalistic fantasy allegations against Hammer publicly came to light. Their divorce was finalized last year.
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After the public fallout, Hammer revealed that he attempted suicide before entering a rehabilitation center for drug and alcohol abuse. When asked if reports were accurate that Robert Downey Jr. had paid for his treatment, Hammer said, "No, he did not. He did not pay for me to go to rehab."
"Has he been supportive to you," Morgan asked.
"I would say that … yes, he has," he said as Morgan noted hesitation in Hammer's response.
"You don't seem convinced," Morgan said. "That was well reported. Is that really not the case?"
Downey served one year in prison after being arrested while driving under the influence in the ‘90s. Downey was arrested in 1996, and police also found heroin, cocaine, crack and a .357 Magnum in Downey’s vehicle.
After a string of rehab stints and relapses, Downey became sober in 2003 and has remained so ever since. In 2016, he was pardoned for his 1996 drug conviction.
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"I don't want to bring anyone else into my situation," Hammer said. "There are a number of people who have been extremely helpful, and I'm incredibly grateful."
Hammer added that Downey helped him "in the way where anyone in Hollywood who suffers from any sort of addiction issues, whether it be alcohol or process addiction or drugs, decides to get sober. That guy will find you, and he will help you."
Representatives for Hammer and Downey did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The rape allegations prompted a nine-month criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Armie denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, and in May 2023, prosecutors announced Hammer wouldn't be charged in the sex assault case.
Armie and his family were the subjects of a Discovery+ docuseries that explored the "deeply troubling accusations leveled against critically acclaimed actor Armie Hammer and the dark, twisted legacy of the Hammer dynasty."
Amid the accusations, he was dropped from a number of films, including Paramount's "The Offer," a show about the making of "The Godfather," whose lead role went to Miles Teller.
He was also supposed to star opposite Jennifer Lopez in "Shotgun Wedding," a role that went to Josh Duhamel. After leaving treatment in May 2021, Armie was reportedly later spotted selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands.