There was a brief moment in time when Armie Hammer had a career that was rising so fast that it seemed only he could stop it — and then he did. Well, he’s back at it!
For those lucky enough not to be aware of Hammer’s controversy or the Discovery Plus documentary House of Hammer, Hammer was one of the most promising young stars after breaking through in the David Fincher masterpiece The Social Network, where he played the Winklevoss twins. He followed that up with a mixture of critically acclaimed independent films and brisk studio movies, working with big names like Henry Cavill, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Timothée Chalamet.
Then the other shoe dropped. In 2021, Hammer was accused of serious allegations, including sexual assault, emotional abuse, and even cannibalism. His career then came to a grinding halt. These days, he spends time on podcasts with cultural contrarians, lamenting his financial woes and making light of the allegations.
His latest move is to become a rabble-rouser himself, starting his own podcast, The Armie HammerTime Podcast, which he records in his modest, rent-controlled apartment. In the first episode, he goes in-depth about how the public fallout led to a lifestyle reset. On the podcast, he tells his first guest, Tom Arnold, that he’s less angry at the world now than when the accusations first curtailed his career. The two had a thoughtful conversation about drug abuse, with Arnold going in-depth about his own experience dealing with addiction and rough childhood during his Roseanne days.
The podcast episode is actually a good exercise in men sharing how childhood traumas can create a flawed and somewhat abusive adult. One particularly memorable moment is when Arnold explains to Hammer that the first time he went to rehab, it didn’t work because he only did it as a PR stunt to get the media off his back and get his good reputation back so he could return to Roseanne. Unfortunately, as the podcast episode proceeds, it becomes increasingly clear that this may be exactly what Hammer is attempting with this podcast.
Hammer is clearly a complex man. He shows self-awareness by saying his sexuality is guided by a desire to be in complete control, informed by his childhood experiences of abuse by a priest. But he loses us when he glosses over the allegations and even makes light of people calling him a cannibal, saying “I kind of like the cannibal stuff now”. But when he finally addresses his victims, he becomes defensive.
Near the end of the podcast, Arnold asks Hammer what things were like when his downfall occurred, and Hammer says it started with “little pieces of sh*t” making unspecified allegations. Hammer says he stayed silent for two and a half years at his lawyers’ advice, as they felt speaking out could complicate his criminal investigation.
Hammer says he kind of likes the cannibal label now. Hammer is on a journey of growth and discovery and believes he has reached the end. But the way he discusses his abuse and his victims indicates he still has a long way to go.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.