The woman whose claims against Armie Hammer led to a police investigation is speaking out against House of Hammer, a new HBO Max and Discovery+ documentary series about the actor and his wealthy family. Effie, a 26-year-old who accused Hammer of “violently” raping her, told the Los Angeles Times she denied requests to be interviewed by the filmmakers and told them it was “extremely inappropriate” for them to “exploit” her trauma.
Effie, who has not revealed her last name over concerns of harassment, came forward during a press conference in March 2021 with her attorney, Gloria Allred. One month after the press conference, filmmakers Elli Hakami and Julian Hobbs asked her if she would be interviewed for their documentary. She declined.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“It is extremely inappropriate of you to exploit such a tragic, vulnerable time in many people’s lives, with no regard whatsoever for our healing process and privacy,” Effie wrote in her response, provided to the Times ahead of House of Hammer’s debut. Effie also declined to do a new interview with Times, citing the Los Angeles Police Department’s investigation into her claims. Although many women have come forward with disturbing allegations about their relationships with Hammer, Effie is the only one to accuse him of rape. The Call Me By Your Name actor previously denied Effie’s allegations through his lawyer, Andrew Brettler, claiming that Hammer’s interactions with Effie and other women were “completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.”
Although Effie was not interviewed, Hobbs and Hakami covered her relationship with Hammer extensively. They included screenshots she posted on Instagram and clips from her 2021 press conference, when she accused Hammer of raping her in April 2017. Allred was also interviewed, which Effie claims she had no prior knowledge of.
Allred told the Times she couldn’t comment on Effie’s claims because of attorney-client privilege. “Statements that I have made on behalf of clients have been made because the statements were consistent with our representation, were authorized either explicitly or implicitly, and were made because I believed that the statements were in the client’s best interests,” Allred told the Times.
Hobbs and Hakami said they made an “editorial decision” not to interview Effie since she is the only one involved in a police investigation. “[Effie]’s been vocal that she thinks that making any form of media out of these events is somewhat problematic,” Hobbs said. “As filmmakers, we don’t take that view. We feel we actually have an obligation to tell the stories.”
“If you were to stop making films because someone said they didn’t want a film being made, you would never make a film,” Hobbs continued. “The reality is not everyone gets onboard films. That being said, I think what you have to be is ethically on the right side of how the affairs are conducted. You have to be open and transparent about what’s going on with the film, and you have to be inclusive.”
They also defended using screenshots Effie shared on social media and her press conference, noting that they were put out in a public forum and were already covered extensively in the media. “There’s all types of laws around material and the use of material. And when she posted on a public forum … her allegations against Armie Hammer enter into the public discourse, right? So that’s been covered by numerous outlets,” Hobbs told the Times. “And that [press conference clip] has been covered by numerous outlets. So now you don’t have to get permission.”
Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison are the only two women who came forward with allegations against Hammer in 2021 who also spoke with Hobbs and Hakami on camera. Vucekovich is the only one who had a physical relationship with the actor interviewed. The three-episode House of Hammer series is now streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
