Los Angeles DA George Gascon in spotlight for ignoring prison recommendation in attempted murder case
Fox News' Bill Melugin reports the latest on the 'deadly' decision from Los Angeles.
Actor Armie Hammer is speaking out after it was announced he will not face sexual assault charges following a review by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
Tiffany Blacknell, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, told Fox News Digital it couldn't prove allegations of rape beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Sexual assault cases are often difficult to prove, which is why we assign our most experienced prosecutors to review them," Blacknell said. "In this case, those prosecutors conducted an extremely thorough review but determined that, at this time, there is insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Hammer with a crime.
"As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. We know that it is hard for women to report sexual assault. Even when we cannot move forward with a prosecution, our victim service representatives will be available to those who seek our victim support services. Due to the complexity of the relationship and inability to prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter, we are unable to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."
ARMIE HAMMER'S EX ELIZABETH CHAMBERS WONDERED ‘WHAT THE F---?’ AFTER CANNIBALISM RUMORS SURFACED
Armie Hammer is speaking out after it was announced he will not face sexual assault charges following a review by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. (MEGA/GC Image)
In a statement posted to his Instagram, Hammer wrote that he was "very grateful" to the district attorney for "conducting a thorough investigation and coming to the conclusion that I have stood by this entire time, that no crime was committed.
"I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared."
Hammer captioned the post, "I would like to say a very special thank you to all of the people who have helped me get through this time. Onwards and upwards."
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Hammer was accused of sexual assault in February 2021, and the Los Angeles Police Department launched a months-long investigation.
Hammer, who starred in movies like "The Social Network" and "Call Me by Your Name," had his career derailed following a series of text messages that allegedly detailed dark sexual fantasies, including references to rape, violence and cannibalism. They were leaked online by an anonymous Instagram account named "House of Effie."
Armie Hammer's career was derailed following the sexual abuse allegations. (Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
In March 2021, the owner of the "House of Effie" Instagram account identified herself as Effie and accused Hammer of raping her "violently" and "for over four hours" in 2017.
Hammer admitted in February to an affair with Effie that involved BDSM but said their relationship was consensual.
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital Effie said: "I am disappointed with the L.A. County District Attorney’s decision not to prosecute Armie Hammer. I felt a duty to speak out and file a report in order to try to hold Armie accountable for all the harm and trauma he has caused me and in order to protect other women from experiencing similar abuse. It has cost me a great deal to have spoken out and filed a report against Armie’s abuse. Since I came forward, I have received death threats, rape threats, countless attacks, and atrocious, incessant harassment. I believe that many of Armie’s victims were afraid to come forward. My hope is that one day, rapists won’t get away with it."
A subsequent documentary, "House of Hammer," revealed some of the alleged text messages, including a claim that he is "100% a cannibal."
"I am going to bite the f--- out of you," one message allegedly said. In another, he allegedly wrote about a desire to tie a woman up in public and make "their body free use."
WHO IS ARMIE HAMMER: HIS FAMILY, CAREER, SCANDAL AND RECOVERY
Hammer's wife, Elizabeth Chambers, 40, filed for divorce in 2020 before the allegations became public. The couple had been married since 2010 and share two children — Harper, 8, and Ford, 6.
Chambers has been living with their kids in the Cayman Islands since filing for divorce and co-parents with Hammer.
"We're committed fully and wholly to our children and to being together as much as possible in a non-romantic way for our kids. Kids need their mom; kids need their dad. So, there's nothing we won't do," she told E! News in September.
Armie Hammer's wife Elizabeth Chambers filed for divorce in 2020. (Getty Images)
In February, Chambers said she was shocked when she heard about the allegations against Hammer.
"I was learning things as the public was," she told Elle. "I was like, ‘There are no words. What the f---?’"
She first broke her silence about the allegations in February 2021, writing on her Instagram: "For weeks, I’ve been trying to process everything that has transpired. I am shocked, heartbroken, and devastated. Heartbreak aside, I am listening, and will continue to listen and educate myself on these delicate matters. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know."
In "House of Hammer," Hammer's estranged aunt claimed there was an atmosphere of abuse in his family growing up.
"We were a very small family, but my grandfather controlled the narrative," she told Fox News Digital in 2022. "He controlled it like a chessboard where you were told what school you went to. You were told what car you drove. Basically, you were followed, you were filmed, you were recorded. It was a life under [a] microscope, and you couldn’t misstep out in public or there were repercussions, and they were really serious."
Armie Hammer has denied the allegations against him. (Terence Patrick/CBS via Getty Images)
Hammer told Air Mail in a February interview he attempted suicide after the allegations surfaced and revealed allegations he was abused by a youth pastor when he was 13, which led to him wanting "control" during sex.
Hammer also spoke about completing a stint in a rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abuse in 2021.
"I’m now a healthier, happier, more balanced person," he said. "I’m able to be there for my kids in a way I never was."
Chambers said she supports "Armie through his journey and I always will," adding, "All I’ve ever wanted is for him to be sober, healthy, and happy. And he is that. He’s really present when he’s with the kids, and that’s all I can hope for. All you want is for your children to have two solid parents, right? That’s always the goal, so anything I can do to support that, I will."
Reports surfaced last year that Hammer was selling timeshares at a hotel in the Cayman Islands because he was "totally broke" after the allegations.
"He is working at the resort and selling timeshares. He is working at a cubicle," a source told Variety last July. "The reality is he’s totally broke and is trying to fill the days and earn money to support his family."
Hammer's lawyer told Entertainment Weekly, "I can't confirm or deny it because Armie hasn't addressed it."
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Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz, Ashley Hume and Elizabeth Stanton contributed to this report.
If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
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