Armie Hammer has been dropped by WME, Variety has learned. According to a knowledgable source, Hammer’s personal publicist is also stepping away.
WME parted ways with the actor following continuous allegations against the actor that have surfaced on social media over the past month.
In messages blasted across social media, which Hammer has not verified, the actor reportedly had numerous conversations of sexually explicit nature, displaying cannibalistic fetishes, where he allegedly expressed his sexual appetite to drink blood, cut toes and enslave sex partners. Hammer described rape fantasies in the messages.
The salacious accusations, first posted on the anonymous Instagram account House of Effie, have been subject of rampant tabloid coverage, but the women say there is more to the scandalous claims than meet the eye. At least three of Hammer’s former partners say he used his sexual proclivities as a smokescreen, accusing him of emotional abuse, manipulation and coercion.
Hammer initially stated he refused to respond to the “bullshit claims,” and his team denies any accusations of abuse, calling any assertions “patently untrue,” stating that any interactions with any sexual partners of his “completely consensual in that they were fully discussed, agreed upon, and mutually participatory.”
An attorney for Hammer, Andrew Brettler of Lavely and Singer, previously told Variety, “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.”
Despite Hammer’s team maintaining his innocence, the allegations swiftly resulted in Hammer being dropped from two high-profile projects: the romantic comedy “Shotgun Wedding,” in which he was originally cast opposite Jennifer Lopez, and Paramount’s series “The Offer,” which is about the making of “The Godfather.”
Though Hammer categorized his departure from “Shotgun Wedding” as his own decision, thanking Lionsgate for letting him walk away from the project, multiple well-placed sources told Variety the actor was asked to leave the film, in addition to “The Offer.”
Coming up, Hammer has a slew of projects on his slate — many of which have already been filmed, which will cause a headache for studio executives who will have to scramble to figure out marketing plans and press tours.
Next month, Hammer will be seen in the smaller-budget film “Crisis,” opposite Gary Oldman and Evangeline Lilly. This fall, Hammer is starring in Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” the follow-up to “Murder on the Orient Express,” opposite Gal Gadot and Kenneth Branagh. Hammer has also wrapped shooting on Taika Waititi’s Searchlight Pictures comedy “Next Goal Wins,” which he filmed last year, though he plays a very minor character.
Hammer has also been cast in two films that have not yet gone into production, and whether he’ll stay on those projects remain to be seen. The actor was cast in Amma Asante’s Cold War thriller “Billion Dollar Spy,” which is in pre-production, and the long-awaited, though unconfirmed, sequel to “Call Me By Your Name.” The directors for both of those films declined to comment on Hammer’s status in their projects.
WME’s firing of Hammer comes one day after Variety published a business-oriented report, titled, Armie Hammer’s Hollywood Career Is in Freefall as Sex Scandal Explodes on Social Media, which focused on the fallout of Hammer’s career in wake of the allegations, taking a critical look at Hollywood’s handling of the situation. At the time of Variety‘s report, Hammer was still a client at WME. An agency source said Friday that WME had been having conversations regarding Hammer’s status as a client, as they saw more and more stories surface on social media with women coming forward, accusing the actor of abuse, manipulation and coercion.
Hammer is in the midst of a public divorce with television host, journalist and entrepreneur, Elizabeth Chambers, who is also a client of WME. The pair have two young children.
Though Chambers has remained largely silent on the allegations, she posted on her Instagram this week, stating she is shocked, heartbroken and devastated.
“Heartbreak aside, I am listening, and will continue to listen and educate myself on these delicate matters. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know,” Chambers posted. “I support any victim of assault or abuse and urge anyone who has experienced this pain to seek the help she or he needs to heal. At this time, I will not be commenting further on this matter.”
THR first reported on Hammer’s departure from WME.
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