Armie Hammer's rape accuser has accused documentary makers of "exploiting [her] trauma".
Armie Hammer is the subject of a new docuseries
A woman known only as Effie - who made her allegations against the 36-year-old actor in March 2021 - has hit out at Elli Hakami and Julian Hobbs' "disgusting" treatment of her and insisted their three-part HBO and discovery+ series 'House of Hammer' is "extremely inappropriate" because it is more harmful to the 'Call Me By Your Name' actor's alleged victims than helpful.
According to the Los Angeles Times newspaper, the 26-year-old woman was asked to be interviewed a month after holding a press conference to talk about what had allegedly happened to her, but she declined.
Her response stated in part: “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.”
And she added in a statement to the outlet: "The way they’ve been exploiting my trauma is disgusting.
“When I keep screaming ‘no’ and they keep going, saying they don’t need my permission, they remind me of Armie.”
Despite her comments, the directors insisted they had an "obligation" to shine a light on the allegations made against the disgraced star, including details of his alleged rape and cannibalism fantasies.
Julian said: "[Effie]'s been vocal that she thinks that making any form of media out of these events is somewhat problematic. 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. 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."
Because Effie is the only woman with an active police investigation against the 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' star, he said it was "an editorial decision" to "not get involved" with her story in great detail, though screenshots of her message exchanges with Armie, which she had shared on Instagram, and clips from her press conference were deemed key to telling the story because she inspired others to speak out.
He said: "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. And that [press conference clip] has been covered by numerous outlets. So now you don’t have to get permission.
"However, I think what’s critically important is that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do something....
"Even though Effie wasn’t there in person being interviewed, she’s clearly posited in the film as the match that lit the fire... So I think in connecting the timeline of events, she fits more in this timeline of the unfolding scandal — her coming forward was a major moment."
Tagged in Effie Armie Hammer