Armie Hammer Was Told “He’s Got Issues, but He’s Not What People Are Saying”

After years of police investigation into Armie Hammer, who was publicly accused of sexual misconduct and abuse in early 2021, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced last year that criminal charges would not be filed against him. “They investigated me for two and a half years in a time where [if] they could have nailed someone like me, it would have been such a boon for the LAPD,” Hammer said on the most recent episode of Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. “They came to the conclusion that there is no evidence that any crime had been committed.”

Hammer, who has denied all allegations of rape, did tell Maher that he acted in a self-destructive manner via unhealthy sexual relationships and substance abuse. Since his fall from grace, which Hammer expressed his gratitude for in June, the actor says he’s broke—but better than ever. “The good place only comes from walking through hell. It was a brutal experience,” Hammer told Maher, who first defended Hammer on Real Time back in February 2021. “Someone might look at me and go, ‘Yeah, but financially you’re in a very different position than you’ve ever been in your entire life.’ And I look at that and I go, ‘Yeah, and you know what it’s taught me is that I don’t need that, because I’ve never been happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.’”

After DMs in which Hammer allegedly described graphic sexual fantasies—including rape, cannibalism, and violence—were leaked online, the actor was dropped by his talent agency and publicist. But the 37-year-old says now that members of his inner circle downplayed the severity of the messages. “By the way, all of my gay friends were like ‘Honey, I saw your text messages. That’s it?’” Hammer told Maher. “They go, ‘Oh my God. If people hacked into Grindr and put Grindr chats public? None of us would have jobs anymore.’”

When Maher asked about Hammer’s “gay friends,” the actor clarified that he had “one.” Maher then said, “They must be trying to fuck you,” to which Hammer laughed and replied, “Yeah, the Call Me by Your Name thing definitely made an impact.”

At one point, Maher, who has railed against cancel culture and a lack of “consistency” for men’s “MeToo punishments,” gave Hammer an opportunity to look into the camera and take accountability for his actions. “I cheated on my wife,” Hammer began. “I used people to make me feel better. I was callous and inconsiderate with people and their emotions and their well-being. I wanted what I wanted and I was going to take it at any cost, even if it was at an emotional cost of someone else. And that is shitty behavior. There are things in my behavior that I have to take accountability for, because that is pivotal for me learning and growing from it.”

The actor told Maher that he’d rather be selling time-shares in the Cayman Islands (“Oh my God, it’s so fun”) than ask his wealthy family for money. “There are no free lunches. Anything that you take has strings,” Hammer said. “I would rather go get a job selling time-shares. I applied for a job to be a drama teacher. I applied for a job to be a landscaper. I applied for a job to be a building manager, and the Cayman Islands refuses to give me work permits.”

Despite his continued challenges after public cancellation, Hammer is reveling in being cleared by the LAPD, as well as the positive psychological evaluation he says he received as part of his custody battle with his ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers. “I had to subject myself for a multi-month full psychological evaluation, and the report at the end of that was glowing,” Hammer told Maher. “By the way, they’re like, ‘he’s got issues, but he’s not what people are saying.’”