Armie Hammer says he’s grateful for the fallout that haunted him after sexual misconduct allegations.
Hammer recently spoke with Bill Maher on the ‘Club Random’ podcast. He said he felt grateful for the fallout because it changed his life forever:
“[I’m grateful for the fallout because] had none of this gone on … my life would have kept going exactly as it was. And I know that that would ultimately only lead in one place, and that’s death.”
Hammer says he views the allegations as a ‘blessing in disguise.’ He had an ‘ego death, a career death, and financial death.’ This made him feel liberated because he no longer cared about how others saw him:
“I experienced an ego death, a career death, financial death, all of these things. … You’ve got to die. And once you die, you can then be reborn. [It was] incredibly liberating because [I was previously] preoccupied with how I was perceived, which now [I] don’t have to care about. Once everyone just decides that they hate you, you go, ‘Oh, well, then I don’t need anything from you people anyway.'”
Hammer lost many film and TV projects after the allegations. Last year, the LAPD and L.A. District Attorney’s office investigated the claims but didn’t press charges due to insufficient evidence. Hammer denied the allegations by saying everything was consensual.
The Allegations Were Wild
They include claims that Hammer had cannibalism fantasies, coerced partners into BDSM scenarios, and carved his initials into a woman’s body. Hammer denied all allegations of nonconsensual sexual conduct but admitted to other bad behavior:
“I cheated on my wife. I used people to make me feel better. I was callous and inconsiderate with people and their emotions and their well-being. … And that is shitty behavior. There are things in my behavior that I have to take accountability for, right? Because that is pivotal for me, learning and growing from it.”
Hammer also talked about selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands. He said he enjoyed selling them because he had bills to pay and two kids to support.
Hammer applied for various jobs, including drama teacher, landscaper, and building manager, but it was difficult for him to get work permits in the Cayman Islands. He then decided to earn his own way rather than relying on his family’s fortune.
You can watch the full interview below.