Content warning: This article contains descriptions of traumatic events, including sexual assault, and may be distressing to some readers.
The trailer has been released for House of Hammer, a new documentary series focusing on actor Armie Hammer and his family.
The three-part series investigates allegations of sexual abuse against the 35-year-old actor — which he has repeatedly denied — as well as five generations of alleged abuses of power by men in the Hammer family.
The trailer shows two of Hammer’s alleged victims, Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison, give on-camera interviews, as well as screenshots and voice memos of messages they claim to have received from the Death on the Nile star about cannibalistic fantasies and sexual fetishes.
“I’m here to talk about what happened in my relationship with Armie Hammer,” says his ex-girlfriend Vucekovich. “In the beginning, I felt like this was all perfect. This was amazing.”
She then reads out one of the messages allegedly from Hammer: “I have a fantasy about having someone prove their love and devotion and tying them up in a public place at night and making their body free use.”
The docu-series also features interviews with the actor’s aunt, Casey Hammer, who served as a consultant on the series and is the granddaughter of Armand Hammer, who created the family fortune in the oil business.
“I’m about to reveal the dark, twisted secrets of the Hammer family,” she says in the trailer, claiming abuse and violence run generations deep.
“On the outside, we were a perfect family. But magnify Succession a million times and it was my family. If you believe in making deals with the devil, the Hammers are top of the totem pole. Every generation of my family has been involved in dark misdeeds. And it just gets worse and worse and worse.”
When does House of Hammer premiere?
Directed by Elli Hakami and Julian P. Hobbs, House of Hammer premieres on the Discovery+ streaming service in the UK on September 2.
Discovery’s President of Crime and Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming, Jason Sarlanis, said in a statement that “the accusations of rape and abuse brought against Armie Hammer in the last few years are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Hammer family.
“With House of Hammer, we witness truly disturbing details and sinister secrets that money and power couldn’t hide forever,” he said.
“This documentary provides an important platform for the incredibly courageous women who came forward to share their stories, and we hope their courage inspires others to continue meaningful conversations around abuse in our society.”
What Are The Accusations Against Armie Hammer?
In January 2021, Hammer began pulling back from high-profile projects after screenshots of text messages began circulating on Instagram. As previously reported by Refinery29, the messages were allegedly from Hammer to a former partner, who claimed they engaged in sex acts that felt threatening and non-consensual. In one message, he reportedly described himself as a cannibal.
App creator Courtney Vucekovich, who dated Hammer from June 2020 through October, also came forward, telling Page Six in January last year she “wouldn’t be surprised” if the screenshots were legitimate.
“He said to me he wants to break my rib and barbecue and eat it,” Vucekovich alleged.
“Fuck that was weird, but you never think about it again… He says, ‘I want to take a bite out of you.’ If I had a little cut on my hand, he’d like suck it or lick it. That’s about as weird as we got. He likes the idea of skin in his teeth,” she claimed.
In a January 21 interview with Star Magazine, model Paige Lorenze made similar claims about Hammer’s alleged desire to engage in cannibalism. They dated from October to December 2020, right after Vucekovich.
“He said he wanted to find a doctor that would remove my ribs,” Lorenze said. “He was telling me you can remove the bottom ribs so he could smoke them, cook them, and eat them.
Hammer’s lawyer released a statement denying the allegations made by Lorenze.
“These assertions about Mr. Hammer are patently untrue. Any interactions with this person, or any partner of his, were completely consensual in that they were fully discussed, agreed upon, and mutually participatory,” the attorney told US Magazine.
“The stories being perpetuated in the media are a misguided attempt to present a one-sided narrative with the goal of tarnishing Mr. Hammer’s reputation, and communications from the individuals involved prove that.”
Several months later, on March 18, a woman named Effie held a press conference and alleged that Hammer violently raped her and slammed her head against the wall in April 2017. He has denied all allegations of misconduct.
After the press conference, Hammer’s attorney Andrew Brettler denied the claims, and in a statement to Refinery29, described them as an “attention-seeking and ill-advised legal bid that will only make it more difficult for real victims of sexual violence to get the justice they deserve.”
“From day one, Mr. Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with [Effie] — and every other sexual partner of his for that matter — have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.”
Where Is Armie Hammer Now?
In December last year, it was reported that Hammer was out of rehab after reportedly checking himself into an inpatient facility outside of Orlando, FL in May, where he sought treatment for “drug, alcohol, and sex issues.”
Last month it was reported that Hammer was selling timeshares at a hotel in the Cayman Islands. Images also surfaced on TMZ which appeared to depict him working in this capacity.
“He is working at the resort and selling timeshares. He is working at a cubicle,” an unnamed source told Variety. “The reality is he’s totally broke, and is trying to fill the days and earn money to support his family.”
He was then spotted for the first time in Los Angeles last month after returning with estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers and their two children.
If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808 802 9999.
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