Armie Hammer won't be charged over rape accusation for lack of evidence
The investigation stemmed from a woman in her 20s claiming she was raped by the actor
Armie Hammer will not face criminal charges over a rape accusation that helped tank his career two years ago, because the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said it failed to find enough evidence to prosecute the "Call Me by Your Name" actor.
"As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt," Tiffiny Blacknell, director of communications for the district attorney's office, said in a statement Wednesday that nevertheless expressed support for Hammer's accuser.
"Due to the complexity of the relationship and inability to prove a nonconsensual, forcible sexual encounter we are unable to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."
The investigation stemmed from a woman in her 20s - identified only by her first name, Effie - who alleged in February 2021 that Hammer had violently raped her for more than four hours several years earlier.
"During those four hours I tried to get away, but he wouldn't let me," Effie said at a video news conference the next month. "I thought that he was going to kill me. He then left with no concern for my well-being." Hammer's attorney denied the allegation at the time.
The investigation, which was opened by the Los Angeles Police Department and later handed over to the district attorney, came several weeks after an anonymous Instagram account accused the actor of sexual and emotional abuse. The account posted several screenshots of what it said were texts Hammer had sent to various women, referencing violent fantasies.
Hammer - a rising star at the time - denied the allegations, calling them an "online attack," and subsequently lost or dropped out of a number of acting projects in development.
The scandal also became the subject of a three-part docuseries that premiered on Discovery Plus last year, "House of Hammer." The series detailed a generational saga of deceit and harm committed by various men in the Hammer family tree.
Among the most jarring revelations from the show was a claim from model and influencer Paige Lorenze that Hammer wanted to find a doctor who could remove her ribs so he could eat them. She also alleged that Hammer branded her with a hot iron and licked the wound while it was bleeding.
Hammer found success and critical acclaim in Hollywood following his roles as the Winklevoss twins in the 2010 film "The Social Network." He later snagged major parts in movies including "J. Edgar," "The Lone Ranger" and "Call Me by Your Name," which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor.
His career has nosedived in the years since the allegations broke. Last year, Hammer moved to the Cayman Islands to be near two children he shares with his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers.
"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," Hammer wrote in a statement posted on his Instagram page Wednesday - although the district attorney's statement left open the prospect of charging him if more evidence emerges. "I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared."
Hammer also gave a special thanks to the people who have helped him through this time. "Onward and upwards," he wrote.
In an email, Hammer's attorney declined to make any additional statements.