LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A woman today accused actor Armie Hammer of raping her and beating her feet with a riding crop in Los Angeles four years ago after they met on Facebook.
The 24-year-old woman, who identified herself only as Effie, made the allegations during a news conference over Zoom held by attorney Gloria Allred.
Hammer's attorney, Andrew Brettler, said in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter that Effie's “own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations. As recently as July 18, 2020, [Effie] 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 also said last month that similar abuse allegations leveled against his client are “patently untrue'' and all of Hammer's sexual encounters have been “completely consensual.''
While reading a prepared statement on Thursday, the woman broke down in tears telling how Hammer allegedly raped her for four hours and slammed her head against a wall. She alleged she first met Hammer, 34, on Facebook in 2016, when she was 20 years old.
Allred said her client “is providing what she thinks might be relevant to law enforcement, and then it is for law enforcement and the prosecutor to decide if there is sufficient evidence to pursue'' a case.
Last month, Hammer's agency reportedly severed ties with him in the wake of other abuse allegations, and the actor previously left two projects -- “Shotgun Wedding,'' starring Jennifer Lopez, and the Paramount Plus series “The Offer,'' according to multiple reports.
Hammer, a great-grandson of oil tycoon and philanthropist Armand Hammer, is known for films including “The Social Network'' and “Call Me By Your Name.'' His most recent film is the drug drama “Crisis.''
Effie, who said she lives in Europe, told reporters she feels guilty for not speaking up about the alleged assault sooner. The woman said she last communicated with Hammer in 2020.
Allred, who called for a police investigation of the accusation, said she has photos of what she described as her client's “visible injuries.'' The attorney refused to comment on whether a police report had been filed and added that there were no immediate plans to bring a civil lawsuit against the actor.
Following the news conference, Allred issued a statement saying she challenged Hammer to present “all, not some, of his communications with Effie to the Los Angeles Police Department and answer all of their questions directly rather than through his lawyers.''
Hammer's former girlfriend, Paige Lorenze, accused him in January of coercing her into violent sex acts that included cutting into her skin. That claim was refuted by Hammer through his attorney, who said at the time, “The stories being perpetuated in the media are a misguided attempt to present a one-sided narrative with the goal of tarnishing Mr. Hammer's reputation, and communications from the individuals involved prove that.''
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