Warning: The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you are a victim of sexual assault, you can access helpful resources by calling RAINN at 1-800-656-4673.
During a Thursday press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred, a woman identifying herself as Effie stepped forward to accuse actor Armie Hammer of committing violent rape and physical abuse.
“On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles,” said Effie, according to Variety. “During which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall bruising my face. He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent.”
“During those four hours, I tried to get away but he wouldn’t let me. I thought that he was going to kill me. He then left with no concern for my well-being,” she added, as reported by The Wrap. “I was completely in shock and couldn’t believe someone I loved did that to me. I tried so hard to justify his actions, even to the point of responding to him in a way that did not reflect my true feelings.”
Effie said she was 20 years old when she met Hammer via Facebook and revealed that she had an on-again, off-again relationship with Hammer between 2016 and 2020. She said their last contact was in 2020. “He would often test my devotion to him,” she said, adding that Hammer became increasingly violent. “He abused me mentally, emotionally, and sexually.”
Effie is believed to be the woman behind the House of Effie Instagram account which first surfaced claims of Hammer engaging in quasi- or non-consensual sexual domination, slave play, knife play, and drinking blood, according to Variety. Allred declined to comment on the connection.
Allred said Effie provided evidence of Hammer’s alleged sexual abuse to law enforcement, noting that photos of Effie’s “visible injuries” do exist, according to The Hollywood Reporter. When asked if Effie would be filing charges against Hammer, Allred stated, “It is for law enforcement and the prosecutor to decide if there is sufficient evidence.” For its part, the LAPD has reportedly launched an investigation into the matter, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Hammer maintains the stance that his relationships with Effie and other women who have come forward were “completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.”
In a statement, Hammer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler of Lavely and Singer, strongly denied Effie’s claims. He also provided screenshots she allegedly sent to Hammer. The statement included Effie’s last name, which Consequence of Sound is choosing not to publish due to Effie’s wishes not to release her full legal name.
“Effie’s own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations,” Brettler wrote. “As recently as July 18, 2020, [she] sent graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her. Mr. Hammer responded making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her.”
“It was never Mr. Hammer’s intention to embarrass or expose [Effie’s] fetishes or kinky sexual desires, but she has now escalated this matter to another level by hiring a civil lawyer to host a public press conference,” he added. “With the truth on his side, Mr. Hammer welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight.”
In a statement responding to Brettler’s claims, Allred said, “I challenge Armie Hammer to present all, not some, of his communications with Effie to the Los Angeles Police Department and answer all of their questions directly rather than through his lawyers.”
Since the scandal first broke in January, Hammer has been forced to exit the Jennifer Lopez film, Shotgun Wedding, as well as a series about making The Godfather entitled The Offer.
In February, several women who spoke to Variety claimed Hammer’s “sexual proclivities are being used as a smokescreen” and made more serious accusations of “emotional abuse, manipulation, and coercion.”
