Armie Hammer calls 2021 allegations of cannibalism 'hilarious'

Armie Hammer is slamming the "outlandish" claims that he is a cannibal stemming from sexual abuse allegations in 2021.

"There were things that people were saying about me that just felt so outlandish," Hammer, 37, said in Sunday's episode of the "Painful Lessons" podcast.

The "Call Me by Your Name" actor said he now looks at the allegations as "hilarious."

"People called me a cannibal and everyone believed them. They're like, 'Yep, that guy ate people.' You're just like, 'What? What are you talking about? Do you know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to eat people. How am I going to be a cannibal?' It was bizarre," he continued.

The "Death on the Nile" actor added that he's "really grateful" for the scandal as it allowed him to do some self-reflection.

"Everything in my life falls apart. I lose all my representation. I lose all of my work. I lose everything (and) think this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me. But when I look at it now with a sense of perspective and albeit a much healthier perspective …" Hammer said. "For the last couple years, I've taken my kids to school every single day. I've picked them up every single day from school. I drive them around. I take them to what they need to do and then I take them home to their mom."

Hammer and ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers share daughter Harper, 9, and son Ford, 7. They split in 2020 after 10 years of marriage.

Armie Hammer speaks out for first time since allegations, says he was sexually abused at 13

What was Armie Hammer accused of?

Courtney Vucekovich, who says she dated Hammer for a few months in 2020, revealed her dating history with the actor in a January 2021 interview with the New York Post's Page Six.

Throughout their relationship, Vucekovich claimed that Hammer manipulated and abused her: "He kind of captivates you and while being charming he’s grooming you for these things that are darker and heavier and consuming. When I say consuming, I mean mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, just everything."

After the pair broke up, Vucekovich says she entered a 30-day partial hospitalization program geared toward those suffering from PTSD and trauma.

Paige Lorenze spoke to Page Six that same month about her allegedly abusive relationship with Hammer. She said she and Hammer dated for four months in 2020 and that she's seeking therapy as she processes the psychological effects of their relationship.

“There were red flags throughout the relationship," she said. "I guess I just put them to the side and he made me feel so confident at times.”

All your Armie Hammer questions answered after the Discovery+ documentary 'House of Hammer'

In March 2021, another woman, identified only as Effie, came forward, accompanied by her lawyer Gloria Allred, to accuse the movie star of raping and beating her over a four-hour period in Los Angeles in April 2017. Local police investigated the claims but decided not to pursue charges after a lengthy review revealed insufficient evidence to prove the allegations against Hammer beyond a reasonable doubt.

Tiffiny Blacknell, director of the Bureau of Communications at the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, told USA TODAY in a statement in May 2023, "Sexual assault cases are often difficult to prove, which is why we assign our most experienced prosecutors to review them. 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."

Hammer's accusers also said he talked about devouring their body parts.

“He said to me he wants to break my rib and barbecue and eat it,” Vucekovich told Page Six. “He says, ‘I want to take a bite out of you.’ If I had a little cut on my hand, he’d, like, suck it or lick it. That’s about as weird as we got.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair as part of a March 2021 deep dive into Hammer and his family tree, Lorenze said "he would say things to me...weird stuff...like, ‘I want to eat your ribs.'"

"The scariest part of it is that I did love him in a way,” she added. “I would’ve let him kind of do anything. He had a certain hold over me.”

Contributing: Maria Puente, Erin Jensen, David Oliver, Elise Brisco and Charles Trepany

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Armie Hammer discusses 2021 cannibal allegations