Is Robert Downey Jr. Supporting Armie Hammer Financially?
Rumors have kicked up that Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. has been financially supporting disgraced actor Armie Hammer. Known for his roles in The Social Network, The Lone Ranger, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Call Me by your Name, and Death on the Nile, Hammer made headlines last year after allegations surfaced from several women accusing the actor of extensive sexual abuse. Now, Hammer is back in the news with rumors he’s working in the Cayman Islands and reports of Downey funding his recovery.
The Armie Hammer scandal
After allegations surfaced in January of last year accusing Armie Hammer of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, an investigation began the following month.
The allegations were headed by a woman identified only as Effie, who said, “On 24 April 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles, during which he repeatedly slammed my head against a wall, bruising my face,” according to the Independent. She also alleged the actor beat her feet with a crop.
Another woman, Courtney Vucekovich, said Hammer told her he wanted to “break [her] rib and barbecue and eat it.”
Soon after the allegations came out, model Paige Lorenze also accused Hammer. She claimed the actor carved the letter “A” near her genitals and sexually abused her during their relationship.
Hammer’s talent agency and publicist dropped the actor in February 2021, the same month the police investigation began. By that March, he had exited or been dropped from all of his acting projects.
As of December 2021, the investigation against Hammer is closed and no charges have been filed against him. However, the Call Me by Your Name actor has remained out of the spotlight and appears to have no projects in the works.
Is Robert Downey Jr. helping Armie Hammer?
Following the scandal, Armie Hammer checked into a Florida rehabilitation facility. Megastar Robert Downey Jr. reportedly encouraged the actor to seek treatment and footed the bill for his stay.
According to Vanity Fair, “Downey, who has battled his own highly publicized Hollywood scandals and addictions, paid for the actor to spend nearly six months in the Florida rehabilitation facility the Guest House.”
No stranger to scandal, Downey checked in to several rehabilitation centers in the late 1990s after he was found in possession of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and an unloaded firearm. The Less Than Zero star spent several years breaking out of the facilities until he was arrested in 2001.
Downey finally made a comeback, but only after a prolonged stay in rehab and support from another huge name in Hollywood: Mel Gibson. According to Vanity Fair, Downey was homeless with little hope of restarting his career until the Mad Max actor intervened. That could explain Downey’s generosity toward Hammer, which could be seen as an effort to pay Gibson’s generosity forward.
Armie Hammer recently returned to the U.S. with his wife and children
Recently, rumors have raged that Armie Hammer is “working at a cubicle” at a Grand Cayman resort. According to Variety, “Initially, a flyer made the rounds on social media stating that Hammer was working as a hotel concierge.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that TMZ video and photos surfaced showing Hammer dressed in what looked like a uniform, working at a desk, and selling timeshares to island-goers. However, Chris Butcher, the director of sales at the resort, Morritt’s, told the LA Times that Hammer is not a resort employee. “According to Butcher, Hammer plays golf with one of the resort’s staff members, who invited the actor to ‘come and see what we do,'” the Times reported.
“He said that featuring the flyer with Hammer’s face on it was an attempt to get more visitors to enjoy a weekly welcome party. Butcher also explained that it was improbable that Hammer was in uniform in the TMZ photos, given that Morritt’s doesn’t have a set dress code for its staffers.”
However, Hammer recently returned to the States with his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, and the couple’s two children. According to People, “The actor flew back to LA with Chambers, 39, and their kids — 7-year-old daughter Harper and 5-year-old son Ford — on July 8.”
People also reported that Chambers — a TV personality and the owner of Bird Bakery in San Antonio, Texas — recently announced she and Hammer are trying to salvage their relationship after announcing their separation.
Hammer and his family are reportedly staying in one of Robert Downey Jr.’s homes in Malibu while Hammer attends AA meetings and the family continues to recover from the 2021 scandal.
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
