Armie Hammer’s mother says actor is ‘baby-stepping back to Jesus’ after cannibalism allegations
Armie Hammer’s mother explained how the actor is "baby-stepping back to Jesus" after his Hollywood career was derailed following allegations of sexual abuse and cannibalistic fantasies.
Armie Hammer's mother, Dru Hammer, is speaking out about the allegations of sexual abuse and cannibalistic fantasies that derailed her son's career in Hollywood.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the author, who recently released her tell-all memoir, "Hammered," recalled the events that led to Armie's downfall. Dru, who is a devout Christian, expressed her relief that the 37-year-old actor has embraced sobriety and is finding his way back to his faith.
Reflecting on Armie's childhood, Dru told Fox News Digital that he was the "most fabulous son in the world." Dru, who shares Armie and son Viktor with her ex-husband, Michael Armand Hammer, added that she has "two fabulous sons."
"But Armie had an incident that happened at 14 and his life spiraled from then," she said.
ARMIE HAMMER'S SCANDAL INVOLVING ALLEGATIONS OF DISTURBING FANTASIES, CANNIBALISM EXPLAINED
Armie Hammer's mother, Dru Hammer, opened up about the allegations of sexual abuse and cannibalism against her son. (Dru Hammer/Getty)
"He was such a delight, and he has such a kind heart," Dru continued. "Every time I went to set, people would say, 'Your son is the nicest person we've ever worked with.' But everybody's heart gets hammered. His was hammered at 14. And I take responsibility."
During a February interview with Air Mail, Armie broke his silence on the allegations and also revealed that he had been sexually abused by a youth pastor when he was a young teenager, which he said led to his interest in BDSM.
"In a situation where something inappropriate happens to your child, you have to be really proactive," Dru explained. "And I pray to God that what I've learned now going back, I should have had my marriage in counseling because my former husband was also abused. And I've learned a lot, too. And I hope and pray that I can have a ministry to help others who have gone through the same thing."
"But he was absolutely a delight," she continued about Armie as a child. "But then he gets into Hollywood. He started medicating with alcohol and drugs, and I'm so grateful that today he's almost four years sober, and he is baby-stepping back to Jesus."
"And I prayed for him for 23 years, which says God answers prayers, but it's not always on our timing."
WATCH: ARMIE HAMMER’S MOTHER SAYS ACTOR IS ‘BABY-STEPPING BACK TO JESUS’ AFTER CANNIBALISM ALLEGATIONS
After making his career breakthrough starring in 2010's "The Social Network," Armie landed a string of roles in major films, including the acclaimed 2017 romantic drama "Call Me By Your Name," which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor.
However, Armie's life began to take a turn in 2020 when his wife, TV personality Elizabeth Chambers, filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Months later, multiple women came forward with shocking allegations of sexual violence.
The first allegation came from the anonymous Instagram account House of Effie. Unverified screenshots allegedly showed messages sent from Hammer to an unidentified woman detailing violent sexual fantasies, including references to rape and the actor admitting he was "100% a cannibal." Armie called them "vicious and spurious online attacks against me."
"I'm so grateful that today he's almost four years sober, and he is baby-stepping back to Jesus."
Paige Lorenze, the actor's ex-girlfriend, claimed Armie had a desire to smoke and eat her ribs, which she said was "definitely disturbing."
"He was talking about finding a doctor to remove my ribs that I don't need — the ribs that are on the bottom and that he had a smoker at his house. He wanted to smoke them and eat them," Lorenze previously told Fox News Digital. "He wondered how they would taste, and he basically was like, 'I bet you they would taste good.'"
At least two other women came forward with similar stories and the actor was also accused of rape by the owner of the House of Effie Instagram account, who identified herself as Efrosina "Effie" Angelova. She alleged that the rape occurred in a Los Angeles hotel room in 2017.
Armie denied all allegations at the time.
In 2023, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced Armie would not face any charges related to the allegations.
Hammer faced accusations of having cannibalistic fantasies. (John Lamparski/WireImage/Getty Images)
While speaking with Air Mail, Hammer maintained that he denied any criminal wrongdoing, insisting that all of his sexual encounters were consensual but admitting to emotionally abusing former partners.
During Dru's interview with Fox News Digital, she shared her reaction when she first heard of the allegations that were being made against her son.
"Well, first of all, these girls, most of them were in my home," she said. "One stayed in my home for Thanksgiving, and they were madly in love with my son. And Armie takes full responsibility. [He said] ‘I never abused anyone. It was totally consensual.’"
Dru continued, "And I saw that they were like puppy dogs around him. And I say in my book that I believe they saw him as Mr. Right, and he saw them as Miss Right Now because he was broken. He wasn't even completely divorced. He was just separated."
"But when you read that your son is a cannibal, I call him and I go, 'Armie, are there any girls out there with limbs missing? I mean, is there something I'm missing out on?'" she recalled.
WATCH: ARMIE HAMMER’S MOTHER SAYS IT WAS ‘SO AUDACIOUS’ THAT ACTOR WOULD ‘ACTUALLY EAT PEOPLE’
"It was just so audacious that he would actually eat people," Dru said. "And I know there were texts that went around, but I said to Armie, I go, ‘I got to stop what I say.' Because I've walked up to babies going, 'Oh my gosh, you're the cutest thing in the world. I could eat you up,' but I'm not eating babies."
"And, you know, he obviously went through a dark phase. And here's what I will say. He was completely exonerated from any criminal activity. So I always say he was not criminally wrong. He was morally wrong. And I am a praying mother. And I would tell him all the time, Armie Hammer, both my sons, ‘you literally do not have a chance in hell because you have a mother that is praying for you every single day.’"
"All I care about is that my sons do what's right and serve the Lord," Dru added. "And that's what I'm seeing. And that's part of my book — is I've had the privilege of seeing the whole story come full circle and God is really restoring our family."
Chambers filed for divorce from Armie Hammer in 2020 after 10 years of marriage. (Jemal Countess)
A part of that restoration involved Dru repairing her relationship with Armie's ex-wife, Chambers. The actor and Chambers, who share daughter Harper, 9, and son Ford, 7, married in 2010 and finalized their divorce in 2023.
In a July appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Armie recalled confessing to Chambers that he had been unfaithful to her during their marriage and said that "infidelity was a key factor" in their split.
"All I care about is that my sons do what's right and serve the Lord. And that's what I'm seeing."
While appearing on "The Outlier Podcast" in July, Dru said that she had a call with Chambers in which she told her former daughter-in-law, "‘Look, the divorce is over. As far as I’m concerned, bygones are bygones, and I love you, and I forgive you for anything that you might’ve done to hurt Armie because you were hurt. I understand, I’ve been there, and I ask you to forgive me if I’ve ever done anything that’s hurt you.'"
During her interview with Fox News Digital, Dru explained why it was important for her to forgive Chambers.
Dru said that it is important to her to have a strong relationship with Chambers. ( Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
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"Well, I'll tell you what. I'm sure that she had to forgive some things from me as well," Dru said. "And I'll tell you why. It's important that Elizabeth and I have a strong relationship because she brought my fabulous grandchildren into this world. And I know the hurt of infidelities in a marriage. I have been there. And again, for me, it's all about forgiveness."
"I never talked about it," she continued. "I never even talked to friends about it, really, for the most part, until the very end. You know, the few friends that I relied on. But again, my whole book is about forgiveness, and it's ‘What would Jesus do?’ And Jesus says, don't forgive seven times, forgive 70 times seven."
"And I'm so grateful that I've seen Elizabeth and Armie — they are co-parenting so beautifully together. They are doing it in peace and in friendship. And again, that is God's restoration."
Elizabeth Chambers and Armie Hammer have two children together. (Photo by Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan)
After the allegations emerged, Armie's career came to an abrupt halt. He departed from the comedy "Shotgun Wedding," in which he was to star alongside Jennifer Lopez, shortly before production was to begin. He soon after departed from the Paramount+ series "The Offer," about the making of "The Godfather," as well as the Starz series "Gaslit" and the Broadway play "The Minutes." Hammer was also dropped by his agency, WME, as well as his publicist.
In September 2022, Discovery+ released a three-part docuseries that examined Armie's scandals and the history of the famous Hammer family dynasty.
In her memoir "Hammered," now available for purchase on Amazon and on her website Druville.com, Dru delved into the topic of cancel culture and its impact on her family.
ARMIE HAMMER SHOWS OFF UNUSUAL NEW TATTOOS AS SHOCKING 'HOUSE OF HAMMER' DOC ACCUSATIONS SURFACE
"I believe all the cancel culture that happened with Armie and also our family with that documentary is it was kind of the perfect storm as well because it was during COVID," she said.
Armie Hammer's mother says she believes "all the cancel culture that happened with Armie and also our family with that documentary is it was kind of the perfect storm as well because it was during COVID." (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
"People were not in an office environment," Dru continued. "They couldn't get out, they couldn't go to restaurants. They're stuck in their home. So it seemed to be kind of this feeding frenzy as well. And let's be honest. You know, good, sweet, happy stories usually don't sell nearly as well as dirt sells."
"When you read that your son is a cannibal, I call him and I go, ‘Armie, are there any girls out there with limbs missing?’"
"I do believe that there is a place for [the] #MeToo movement. I do believe there's a place for cancel culture, but I also believe that it can be taken too far," she added. "Men and women have been canceled when there's been nothing criminal that's come out."
"And I pray that through this, maybe it will swing back the other way where both sides are able to be heard."
WATCH: ARMIE HAMMER’S MOTHER DRU ON HER NEW TELL-ALL MEMOIR ‘HAMMERED’
While speaking with Air Mail, Armie said he entered a rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abuse in May 2021. He also confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. supported him as a mentor during his recovery. During his appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Armie denied reports that Downey had paid for his rehab stint.
During a recent "Club Random" podcast episode, Armie told host Bill Maher that he is now broke and confirmed that he didn't receive any money from his family.
Armie has previously expressed his doubts that he will ever be able to mount a comeback in Hollywood, but he told Piers Morgan that he is working on an "autobiographical" script.
Dru said that she "absolutely" believes that Armie will mount an acting comeback. (Dru Hammer)
However, Dru told Fox News Digital that she "absolutely" believes that Armie will eventually make his return to acting.
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"I believe it's his calling," she said. "And I believe there was a blur, and he got caught up with the whole Hollywood thing. And now that he's sober. And I said, 'Armie, can you imagine that you're out there acting, and you were medicating with alcohol and drugs? And now that you're sober, how much better are you going to be?'"
Dru said that after watching Armie play evangelist Billy Graham in the 2008 movie "Billy: The Early Years," she knew that the acting profession was "what the Lord had for him."
"But we can fail, too," she said. "But God is a God of second chances."
Dru's memoir "Hammered" is available now on Amazon and on her website Druville.com. (Dru Hammer)
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Dru shared why she was so transparent about her life and family in her memoir, "Hammered."
"I just think every heart has been hammered," she said. "And I was hammered as much as anybody. I've had a lot of highs. And the reason why I wrote the book, and it took me ten years to write it, is because I believe if you write a book, you have to be extremely honest."
She continued, "You have to put yourself out there, and you have to tell about the good, the bad and the ugly. And there's a lot of all those three above of what's happened in my life. And I felt like my story could really help people because the whole theme in the book is forgiveness. And if you don't forgive, then you live your life with bitterness and it will eat you alive."
"Jesus said, 'You will have trials and tribulations, but I've overcome the world.' And he gives us life and life abundantly. So I really want to share that."
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Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
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