Everything You Need to Know About ‘House of Hammer’
Few scandals have rocked Hollywood like the one involving actor Armie Hammer. Star of The Social Network and Call Me by Your Name, Hammer has spent over a decade as one of the film industry’s leading men, swooned over for his clean-cut looks and good-boy image.
Now, the discovery+ docuseries House of Hammer details the shocking allegations against Hammer and the dark history of his wealthy family.
The Armie Hammer scandal
Beginning in January of 2021, allegations about Hammer begin to circulate on social media. The first involved an Instagram account, @houseofeffie, which claimed Hammer sexually abused her throughout their four-year relationship. The user shared shocking texts she claims Hammer sent her. These messages detailed the actor’s desire to perform graphic and violent acts of sexual abuse on her, sexual fantasies involving cannibalism, and a desire to drink her blood.
By February, two more women claiming to be former Hammer’s partners came forward. Their allegations echoed @houseofeffie’s, with claims of sexual abuse including branding, coercion, and more violence.
Screenshots from Hammer’s secondary Instagram (confirmed by Hammer in his statement made to Cayman Compass) also leaked on the internet revealing photos and videos of women in bondage with several posts Hammer captioned with degrading comments about women.
On February 3, 2021, LAPD opened an investigation on the 36-year-old actor.
At a press conference in March 2021, a woman named Effie appeared publicly, alleging Hammer violently sexually abused her for hours in April of 2017. “During those four hours, I tried to get away but he wouldn’t let me. I thought that he was going to kill me. He then left with no concern for my well-being,” Effie says in the video, according to The Wrap.
In response, Hammer denied all of the women’s claims. However, the investigation is still ongoing.
How to watch ‘House of Hammer’
Released on September 3, 2022, the only way to watch House of Hammer currently is through a subscription to discovery+. The platform currently offers two different subscription plans; one for $4.99/per month which includes ads, and one for $6.99/per month to avoid ads.
Both plans currently include a free seven-day trial period. Those with Amazon Prime can easily add the channel to their Prime subscription for the same subscription fees (free trial included) and may cancel at any time.
‘House of Hammer’ reveals a long history of serious abuse allegations within the Hammer family.
Co-produced by Hammer’s aunt, Casey Hammer, House of Hammer alleges that Armie’s alleged violent, degrading, and criminal behavior did not begin with him. Over the course of three hour-long episodes, Casey unearths several generations of the Hammer family history, alleging that Armie learned his behavior from his father, uncle, and grandfather, the oil tycoon, Armand Hammer.
Pointing to well-documented evidence of her family’s wrongdoings, Armie’s aunt paints a terrifying picture of the Hammer family men’s decades of violence, controlling tendencies, massive subversive political dealings, and sexual abuse. “Every generation in my family has been involved in dark misdeeds, and it just gets worse and worse.” Hammer’s aunt claims in the series, according to Collider. “… Now it is Armie Hammer.”
Joining Casey are several women who claim sexual abuse from Armie, including his ex-girlfriend, Courtney Vucekovich, and Julia Morrison. The project includes statements from a third alleged victim, Paige Lorenze, as well, though Lorenze does not appear in person.
Interestingly, the series ends with Armie’s aunt reading a letter from her brother claiming the content of House of Hammer to be false, requesting she abandon her claims, and threatening legal ramifications.
No legal action appears to be taken yet against Casey , who also independently published much of the series’ content in her 2015 book Surviving My Birthright. However, readers will note that the 2015 version was followed by a 2021 version with the title Surviving My Birthright: The Authorized Version, provoking questions as to why the title change was necessary.
Also, it should be noted that House of Hammer claims Armie declined to be interviewed for the series. No criminal charges have been brought against Armie to date.
