Yahoo News Armie Hammer won't face sexual assault charges in Los Angeles case
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will not file sexual assault charges against embattled actor Armie Hammer following what has been described as a "thorough review" by prosecutors.
In a statement obtained by EW, Tiffiny Blacknell, director of the D.A. office's bureau of communications, said prosecutors found "insufficient evidence" to charge Hammer with rape, citing the "complexity of the relationship" between the actor and his accuser, previously identified as a woman named Effie, and "inability to prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter."
"As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt," the statement read. "We know that it is hard for women to report sexual assault. Even when we cannot move forward with a prosecution, our victim service representatives will be available to those who seek our victim support services."
Christopher Polk/Getty Armie Hammer
Hammer expressed his gratitude to the D.A.'s office in a statement shared on Instagram, which read, in part, "I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared."
Effie reported Hammer to police in 2021, alleging that the actor violently raped her in Los Angeles and also subjected her to mental and emotional abuse during a four-year on-and-off relationship. Hammer denied the allegations, with his attorney Andrew Brettler telling EW in a statement at the time that Effie's "own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations." He also provided an alleged text message exchange between the two and said Hammer made "it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her."
Hammer became embroiled in controversy earlier in 2021 after he was accused of sexual misconduct by several women, who shared messages allegedly sent by the actor pertaining to BDSM and cannibalistic desires. As a result, Hammer — who called the allegations "bullsh--" at the time — was dropped by his agency and various TV and film projects, including the 2022 rom-com Shotgun Wedding and Godfather series The Offer. He was recently the subject of three-part docuseries House of Hammer, which delved into the allegations and his family history.
He broke his silence for the first time earlier this year in an interview with Air Mail, where he acknowledged the "imbalance of power" between him and the younger women he had sexual relationships with and revealed that he attempted suicide amid the allegations against him.
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