Content warning: This story includes descriptions of sexual assault that may be distressing to some readers.

It's been five years since Armie Hammer all but vanished from our screens after accusations arose of him being a cannibal.

Once an adored heartthrob, his career was over in just a matter of days when multiple women accused him of sexual assault, physical abuse, and violent sexual fantasies, including cannibalism.

And now The Social Network actor is back in the spotlight thanks to his latest movie making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Hammer stars in German director Uwe Boll's controversial new film Citizen Vigilante as an American businessman turned vigilante, "who targets violent criminals, rapists and corrupt judges," according to the Apple synopsis.

Boll told The Telegraph he cast Hammer because he saw no reason the actor should remain ostracised from the industry.

"He's a great actor, and also because he was cancelled and wanted to work," he said.

"I'm pretty sure I cried," Hammer told The Hollywood Reporter about finding out he had landed the role.

"It was just this moment where I was like: I'm going to get to do the thing that I love more than anything — other than my children. I would have done a f**king cat food commercial. I just wanted to work again."

However, the movie has proved highly controversial for its extreme violence and supposedly anti-migrant message.

The film was banned in Germany, according to The Telegraph, because regulators refused to grant it an age rating over concerns its violent content could incite violence against migrants.

One such example depicts Hammer's character executing an entire family of Syrian migrants in their home as a result of being connected to their son, who was found guilty of rape.

Upon its release, it has been described as "one of the most disturbing movies" critics have seen and is now reportedly being "celebrated by right-wing trolls" after Elon Musk recently posted the movie to X and removed it 48 hours later.

One Variety critic said Hammer's comeback "can only be harmed by this project."

Here's everything we know about his fall from grace.

The collapse of a career.

Once a thriving Tinseltown presence with a beautiful family (wife Elizabeth Chambers and their two children), from the outside, Hammer's life seemed perfect.

However, the acclaim he received for roles in films like Call Me By Your Name and Sorry to Bother You quickly vanished after an anonymous Instagram account posted what were alleged to be text messages from Hammer to various women, leading to the collapse of his career.

One of the texts he allegedly sent to a victim read, "I am 100 per cent a cannibal. I want to eat you."

His ex-girlfriends, Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison, claimed they received text messages and voice notes from him, in which he discussed cannibalistic or violent fantasies involving them.

Vucekovich alleged that while the relationship started off well, "things change" and he "pushes your boundaries a little bit at a time." She added that cannibalism was the only thing he "wanted to ever talk about."

She told Page Six , “He said to me, he wants to break my rib and barbecue and eat it."

Another young woman, known as Effie, alleged to the publication that she thought he would kill her and that she was violently sexually assaulted.

Following the claims, his wife swiftly filed for divorce, and Discovery+ released House of Hammer, a documentary that delved deeply into the allegations against him and his family.

Addressing the allegations.

Since his fall from grace, Hammer has largely stayed out of the public eye. However, he did choose to address being labelled a "cannibal" and the "death" of his career on the Painful Lessons podcast in 2025.

"There were things that people were saying about me that just felt so outlandish… that I was a cannibal. Now I'm able to sort of look at it with a sense of distance and perspective and be like, 'that's hilarious.' Like, people called me a cannibal and everyone believed them," he said.

"How am I going to be a cannibal? It was bizarre, right?"

Screenshots of messages allegedly sent from Armie Hammer's Instagram account.

In the interview, he didn't directly address the alleged messages, simply referring to them as 'indiscrepancies [sic]'.

"I'm now at a place in my life where I'm really grateful for every single bit of it... I never was in a place where I was happy with myself," he said.

The disgraced actor admitted that he initially felt "resentment" over his public downfall. Hammer said, "was an ego death, a career death... A neutron bomb went off in my life. It killed off [everything]."

The fallout.

Hammer has consistently maintained his innocence.

However, he has admitted to "power imbalances" in his relationships and acknowledged that could have swayed the women he was with to do things they might have otherwise not wanted.

“I would have these younger women in their mid-20s, and I’m in my 30s. I was a successful actor at the time,” he told Air Mail in early 2023.

“They could have been happy to just be with me and would have said yes to things that maybe they wouldn’t have said yes to on their own. That’s an imbalance of power in the situation.”

The women who have made the claims against Hammer have spoken of the lasting impact of the behaviour they allege.

"I lost interest in living," Effie told Page Six. "I just wanted the pain to stop."

"He sucks out all the goodness you have left," Vucekovich told the publication. "That’s what he did to me. I gave and gave and gave until it hurt."

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Mamamia is a charity partner of RizeUp Australia, a national organisation that helps women, children and families move on after the devastation of domestic and family violence. Their mission is to deliver life-changing and practical support to these families when they need it most. If you would like to support their mission you can donate here .

Feature Image: Getty.