2021 is turning out to be just as crazy a year as 2020. We’re only halfway through the first month at present and the new year’s already delivered a ton of headlines that you never expected to see. Case in point: Armie Hammer is being accused of being a cannibal.
No, really. The Call Be Your Name actor found himself at the center of a Twitter storm this week after multiple people produced supposed evidence of disturbing online conversations they’d had with the actor, in which he expresses some, er, peculiar tastes.
The weird thing is the fallout from this incident isn’t just confined to social media. In a further unexpected development, Hammer has dropped out of upcoming romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding, which he was due to star in opposite Jennifer Lopez, in response to the allegations. It’s not that he was forced out, though, and in his statement to the press, he remarked that he felt he needed to be with his family during this difficult period.
“I’m not responding to these bullsh*t claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,” Hammer said in a statement. “Lionsgate is supporting me in this, and I’m grateful to them for that.”
As you can see, Hammer doesn’t mince words when it comes to denying these accusations, calling them “bullsh*t.” At the time of writing, the veracity of the screenshots that appear to show his private conversations with female fans, who he describes as his “kitties,” has yet to be ascertained. A message from one of his accusers apparently admitting to their claims being fraudulent was initially spread around, though, but this is now believed to be a fake.
At the very least, the supposed messages depict an uncomfortable power dynamic between the actor and his fans, so this scandal could really derail his career if it turns out there’s any truth to it. Hammer certainly seems to be taking the allegations seriously, going by his strong, impassioned language and decision to step away from his current project, but we’ll have to wait and see what comes of it.
Armie Hammer will next be seen in star-studded Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile, due in theaters this September.