Vanity Fair recently did a long-read story about Armie Hammer and his family history. There are so many dysfunctional seeds in Armie’s family history, and I was left with the impression that the Hammer men just treat women like garbage, forever, across generations. The VF story included sources who took pains to say that Armie had not been changed with any crime, but it felt like that was only a matter of time. As more of his exes and victims became aware of each other and began publicizing his patterns of emotional, financial and physical abuse, it seemed inevitable that someone would file a police report. It’s happened: the woman who is likely behind the “House of Effie” Instagram (which did so much to expose Hammer) has now filed a police report, accusing Hammer of rape.

The anonymous woman who first made allegations about Armie Hammer on social media has come forward publicly.

“I thought that he was going to kill me,” the woman, named Effie, said through tears on Thursday during a press conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred. Effie is accusing Hammer of violent rape and physical abuse, during their on-and-off four-year relationship from 2016 to 2020. “On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles, during which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall, bruising my face,” Effie said. “He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent.”

Crying uncontrollably at the virtual press conference, Effie says during the alleged rape, Hammer beat her feet “so they would hurt” with every step she took. She says she tried to get away, “but he wouldn’t let me. He then left with no concern for my well being. I was completely in shock,” Effie said.

Along with a statement strongly denying the rape allegation, Hammer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler of Lavely & Singer, sent a screenshot of text message correspondence they say is between Hammer and Effie, in which Hammer texts, “I am not going to be able to engage in you in that specific way right now. It never ends well. We can talk and be friends, but I can’t do that.”

Hammer’s attorney says the screenshot is “just one of hundreds” Effie sent to Hammer. “Effie’s own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations. As recently as July 18, 2020, [she] sent graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her. Mr. Hammer responded making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her,” Brettler said in a statement.

Shortly after the press conference, Variety confirmed that Hammer is being investigated by the LAPD. “We can confirm that Armie Hammer is the main suspect in an alleged sexual assault investigation that was initiated Feb. 3 of this year,” an LAPD spokesperson said.

Effie, who is 24 and lives in Europe, did not disclose her full legal name during the press conference. Up until now, it is believed she has been the woman behind the Instagram account “House of Effie,” which first surfaced claims against Hammer. (During the press conference, Allred would not comment on whether her client was behind the social media account.)

[From Variety]

Gloria Allred spoke at length during the press conference about consent and consent within an ongoing sexual relationship, meaning just because you consent to one thing one time, doesn’t mean you consent to it all the time. The point is that Effie admits to having a consensual affair with Hammer for some of the time, but that the relationship became profoundly abusive physically and emotionally and she didn’t consent to that. I think… there will be others. Other victims will be coming forward shortly. He’s disgusting. He’s a predator.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.