Armie Hammer didn’t have a great 2021. The Call Me By Your Name and The Lone Ranger star’s reputation was torpedoed last January when a series of DMs and audio messages leaked in which he fantasized about enslaving women, mutilating them, and consuming their flesh. Subsequently, one of his former partners made an allegation of rape against him, which is now in the hands of the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
The consequences were swift. Hammer quickly disappeared into his family home on the Cayman Islands, left two in-production projects, separated from this wife, and his agents cut ties with him. The last news we had was that he’d checked into an Orlando rehab facility that treats drug, alcohol, and sex issues. Now he’s reportedly out, with a source telling The Sun newspaper that he’s “doing really well” and has returned to the Cayman Islands.
The next chapter in the Hammer saga is unclear. In February, he’ll appear in Death on the Nile with Gal Gadot, Kenneth Branagh, and Letitia Wright. This was originally supposed to land in October 2020 before being substantially delayed due to COVID. 20th Century Studios did consider reshooting Hammer’s scenes with a different actor, though decided against it, and he’s still featured in marketing material.
That may give his career a thin sliver of hope. After all, Hollywood loves a comeback kid, and actors convicted of violent acts, racist outbursts, domestic abuse, and various addiction-related issues have all gone on to bigger success.
Then again, perhaps studios will draw the line at him getting his kicks fantasizing about consuming blood, severing toes, engaging in rape fantasies, and enslaving his sex partners. I mean, Armie Hammer did say “I am 100% a cannibal”. It’s difficult to walk that one back.