Armie Hammer's movie career essentially ended 2 years ago amid an LAPD investigation that saw The Long Ranger and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. star accused of a violent rape.
While he was never charged (the investigation was dropped after 9 months), Hammer still finds himself surrounded by controversy following the release of screenshots suggesting he has cannibalistic and violent fetishes. Throw in reports about substance issues and infidelity, and scandals have followed him for a while.
Numerous women have shared similar sexual abuse claims about the actor, leading to him being dropped by his talent agency and essentially blacklisted in Hollywood.
Now, though, Hammer is sharing his story and tells Air Mail that his interest in BDSM is a result of being sexually abused by his youth pastor when he was 13. "What that did for me was it introduced sexuality into my life in a way that it was completely out of my control. I was powerless in the situation. I had no agency in the situation."
"Sexuality was introduced to me in a scary way where I had no control. My interests then went to: I want to have control in the situation, sexually."
Admitting that there was "an imbalance of power" in some of his previous relationships, Hammer continued to deny any criminal wrongdoing after being accused of rape, and put his past behaviour with other women down to him being "an asshole."
Detailing his recovery, Hammer claims to have contemplated suicide in the midst of his very public downfall. "I just walked out into the ocean and swam out as far as I could and hoped that either I drowned, or was hit by a boat, or eaten by a shark. Then I realized that my kids were still on shore, and that I couldn’t do that to my kids."
As for what the future holds in store, Hammer seems hopeful he can one day be redeemed but doesn't believe that's possible given today's cancel culture.
"There are examples everywhere, Robert [Downey Jr.] being one of them, of people who went through those things and found redemption through a new path. And that, I feel like, is what’s missing in this cancel-culture, woke-mob business," Hammer says. "The minute anyone does anything wrong, they’re thrown away. There’s no chance for rehabilitation."
While he could eventually find some acting work, perhaps in direct-to-DVD fare, it's hard to picture Hammer ever starring in a mainstream project again. Studios are bound to be reluctant about the backlash hiring him would lead to online, while even the non-criminal behaviour he's admitted to is widely considered unacceptable in this post-#MeToo landscape.
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