Armie Hammer Rape Allegation Triggers LAPD Investigation

LOS ANGELES, CA — A woman accused actor Armie Hammer of raping and beating her in Los Angeles four years ago and asked Los Angeles Police to investigate the case Thursday.

The 24-year-old woman, who identified herself as Effie, is the latest of several women to accuse the "The Social Network" and "Call Me By Your Name" actor of sexual assault. The actor has denied the accusations. The Los Angeles Police Department has opened an investigation into the allegations, a spokesperson confirmed.

At a press conference with attorney Gloria Allred, Effie tearfully said Hammer raped her for four hours, slammed her head against a wall, and beat her feet with a riding crop. In a prepared statement, she said she met the actor via Facebook in 2016 when she was 20 years old. Hammer is now 34.

"During those four hours, I tried to get away but he wouldn't let me. I thought he was going to kill me. Then [he] left with no concern for my well-being," she said.

However, Hammer's attorney painted a very different picture of the relationship in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. Attorney Andrew Brettler said Effie continued to reach out to Hammer to continue a consensual relationship.

Effie's "own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations," he wrote. "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 denied allegations of sexual abuse leveled against Hammer last month, calling them "patently untrue" and claiming all of Hammer's sexual encounters have been "completely consensual."

He said Effie sent hundreds of texts to Hammer.

Effie said she last communicated with Hammer in 2020.

Effie said she regretted not coming forward with her allegations earlier.

"I tried so hard to justify his actions, even to the point of responding to him in a way that did not reflect my true feelings," she said. "In speaking out today, I hope to keep others from falling victim to him in the future."

Allred said that consenting to sexual activities doesn't mean that a person loses the right to say no at any point during the encounter.

"Even if a sexual partner agrees to sexual activities, she has the right at any point to withdraw her consent," said Allred at the top of the press conference.

"Often, famous men select vulnerable women, particularly some of their fans, to use and abuse," Allred said. "Celebrities often make that choice because they may feel that they can more easily use the power of their celebrity to seduce and manipulate fans who admire or idolize them. They may also count on the fear that many women have of speaking out against a celebrity."

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.

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."

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, is a great-grandson of oil tycoon and philanthropist Armand Hammer. His most recent film is the drug drama "Crisis."

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."

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."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.