Armie Hammer is being investigated in a sexual assault case

Rich Polk, Getty Images for IMDb

Warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual violence and assault.

After disturbing private messages were leaked between Call me by your name Actor Armie Hammer and an unnamed woman, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed yesterday, March 18, that Hammer has been named as a suspect in a sexual assault investigation.

LAPD confirms with deadline that their investigation began in early February and they are now turning their case over to the district attorney. From there, prosecutors in the District Attorney’s Office in the Sex Crimes Unit review the evidence to determine whether it is sufficient to file criminal charges.

And if Hammer is found guilty, he could face up to eight years in prison.

A woman who called herself “Effie” reported on Feb. 3 that she had been “forcibly raped,” an LAPD spokesman told the Associated Press Los Angeles Times, in April 2017 over a four-hour period. She and Hammer, who was married at the time, had been together since 2016 and continued their relationship until 2020.

“He abused me mentally, emotionally and sexually,” Effie explained in a video call with the Just. “I tried to escape, but he wouldn’t let me. I thought he was going to kill me.” She said Hammer was so physically violent toward her that he “repeatedly” slammed her head against a wall and beat her feet with a crop.

“He then left without caring about my welfare. I was completely shocked and couldn’t believe someone I loved did this to me,” Effie said. “I tried so hard to justify his actions, to the point that I responded to him in a way that did not reflect my true feelings.”

Effie’s attorney Gloria Allred, who was also present on the call, noted that a person can withdraw consent at any point during a sexual encounter or relationship and called on Hammer to review “all, not just some, of his communications with Effie.” “You can contact the Los Angeles Police Department directly and answer all of your questions directly instead of going through his lawyers.”

After screenshots of his private conversations surfaced on social media in which Hammer described his desire to be sexually violent and exploit the person on the other end, Hammer left his current film projects and was dropped by his representation.

Hammer’s lawyers dispute Effie’s claims, arguing that her “own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations” and that their relationship was “entirely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance and mutually participatory,” pointing to sexually graphic texts that Effie had sent to Hammer during their relationship.

“It was never Mr. Hammer’s intention to embarrass or expose (Effie’s) fetishes or perverted sexual desires, but she has now escalated the matter to another level by hiring a civil attorney to moderate a public press conference,” continued Hammer’s lawyer away. “With the truth on his side, Mr. Hammer welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight.”

The investigation is now being reviewed by the Los Angeles District Attorney and we will update this story as further details and decisions regarding Hammer’s fate are made public.