Prosecutors drop sexual assault charges against Armie Hammer
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Armie Hammer – best known for his roles in Call Me By Your Name, The Social Network and Death On The Nile – will not be charged over allegations of sexual assault, prosecutors have confirmed.
Two years ago, Hammer was accused of raping a woman in Los Angeles in 2017, and it was also alleged that he'd sent a string of explicit messages on social media.
Since the allegations were made, Hammer has denied any wrongdoing, and this week said he is "very grateful" to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, following its decision not to charge him.
"I would like to say a very special thank you to all of the people who have helped me get through this time," he wrote in a post on Instagram shortly after the charges were dropped. "Onwards and upwards."
Hammer went on: "I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared."
In the comments section, there was a mixed response. "YESSSSSSSS SON GOD HAS EXONERATED YOU - the truth ALWAYS comes out!!!!! I am and have always been proud of you son," wrote Hammer's mother, Dru Hammer.
"I stand with the survivors," commented Terra Newel, presenter of The Survivor Squad podcast and well-known victim of 'Dirty John' Meehan. "Just because legally you aren’t at fault doesn’t mean you didn’t abuse all those women."
Elsewhere, the woman who accused the actor of rape – known as Effie – said she was "disappointed" with the decision not to prosecute him, according to the BBC.
"I felt a duty to speak out and file a report. It has cost me a great deal to have spoken out," she told the broadcaster. "Since I came forward, I have received death threats, rape threats, countless attacks, and atrocious, incessant harassment."
Speaking of the decision to drop the charges, Tiffiny Blacknell, director of the bureau of communications, said: "Sexual assault cases are often difficult to prove, which is why we assign our most experienced prosecutors to review them."
"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," Blacknell continued. "As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt."
Blacknell went on to reference the difficulties that many alleged victims face when reporting sexual assault to police. "We know that it is hard for women to report sexual assault," she said. "Even when we cannot move forward with a prosecution, our victim service representatives will be available to those who seek our victim support services."
The director of the bureau of communications concluded: "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."
The move to drop the charges against Hammer comes months after a three-part documentary – titled House Of Hammer, and produced by the actor's aunt Casey Hammer – showed on-camera interviews with two of Hammer's alleged victims, in which they detailed some of the alleged abuse.
For help with any of the issues discussed in this article, visit: Rape Crisis England & Wales, Rape Crisis Scotland, or Rape Crisis Northern Ireland. RASASC provides emotional and practical support for survivors, families and friends.
You Might Also Like
