The Truth About Armie Hammer And Elizabeth Chambers' Relationship
The following references sexual assault allegations.
Armie Hammer first gained prominence playing the Winklevoss twins in the 2010 drama "The Social Network," but it wasn't until "Call Me By Your Name" was widely released in 2018 that the actor really shot to fame. Fans were charmed by the 6'5" star who lived a life worth of envy — the looks of a textbook Prince Charming, a beautiful wife and children, and a promising career in Hollywood. Peachy, indeed, but come 2021, his world would turn upside down after an anonymous Instagram user (via Complex) accused him of grave sexual crimes by releasing screenshots of what seemed to be mostly one-sided conversations, ushering in a blizzard of accusations from women who were allegedly abused by him.
Naturally, the netizens pulled out the pitchforks and branded Hammer a cannibal and rapist as his name was carved into the cold stone wall of the disgraced. Meanwhile, Discovery+ took the opportunity to film "House of Hammer," making matters worse for Hammer whose once burgeoning career came to a screeching halt amid the highly publicized scandal.
Hammer has vehemently denied all the allegations against him and maintains that no sexual encounters with his alleged victims were non-consensual. In light of the controversy, he checked himself into a rehab for almost six months (paid for by Robert Downey Jr.). While no charges have been pressed against Hammer, one thing is undeniable: he cheated on his wife of a decade, Elizabeth Chambers, and caused her tremendous pain and heartbreak. But their relationship wasn't always like that.
Armie Hammer's first date with Elizabeth Chambers
When Armie Hammer first met Elizabeth Chambers in 2008, it seemed like love was not in the cards as the TV personality happened to be dating someone else. After discovering that Chambers wasn't happy in the relationship, Hammer decided to shoot his shot. He told Elle about how he tried to woo her by delivering a speech about how they were made for each other, and the lines went like, "So we can do this 30 years from now, when I've gotten married a couple of times and you've gotten married a couple of times, or we can start now and end up 60 years from now sitting on a porch in rocking chairs, talking about how good an adventure the whole thing was."
Chambers, although initially hesitant, was taken by the cheesy confession, and they started dating. The rom-com-esque beginning of their love story took a saucy twist when Hammer took Chambers out on their first date. As Hammer recapped to Playboy (via E! News), due to bad weather, what was supposed to be a skeet shooting session turned into art gallery hopping and, in a strange turn of events, they ended up in an adult store (Surely beats an award show date night, we assume?)
Armie Hammer was eager to get married
After getting together with Elizabeth Chambers in 2008, Armie Hammer was ready to become her husband. "I like the idea that I have a best friend. ... I remember being single and trying to date, and it was just stressful and hard," he told Elle. Chambers herself has commented on how eager he was to settle down and take the next step. Speaking with Town & Country Magazine, she said, "He sat me down and said, 'Look, we don't have to do this. We could just go our own ways, and then one day you'll be 40 and divorced and we'll run into each other, and we'll laugh and go out to dinner and have this same connection, and we'll wonder why we wasted all of that time. Or we could just do it now and enjoy the ride.'"
Hammer seems to have mastered the art of inducing FOMO since he successfully got Chambers to walk down the aisle and trade vows with him in 2010. In a chat with Guest of a Guest, he offered one piece of advice on dealing with any jitters that might sneak up on the big day: "Enjoy the food at the wedding, because it will ground you and the rest of it will be easy."
By all accounts, they threw a memorable party. The actual wedding day was such a thing that it was highlighted in a 2011 issue of Town & Country (via Us Weekly), and Inside Weddings showcased their rehearsal dinner.
Armie Hammer made changes after getting married
Long before the world got to know about Armie Hammer's sexual fantasies against their will (no, we're not talking about the tame BDSM tweets he liked), it was a known fact that his take on sex wasn't vanilla at all. The actor was admittedly dominant in the bedroom, but that changed when he married Elizabeth Chambers. "I liked the grabbing of the neck and the hair and all that. But then you get married and your sexual appetites change. And I mean that for the better— it's not like I'm suffering in any way. But you can't really pull your wife's hair. It gets to a point where you say, 'I respect you too much to do these things that I kind of want to do,'" he told Playboy in 2013 (via E! News).
Granted he admittedly chose not to take things to the extreme with Chambers, marital life came with its perks. Hammer cherished how comfortable he was around his wife. "I mean, not to be graphic, but you can have sex and in the middle just start laughing about something totally funny. You can't do that with someone you're dating; you're too nervous," he told Elle. For someone with a dangerously kinky past (remember that story he recounted in the same interview about being introduced to knife play by a girl?) he surely seemed to be doing fine. (Well, that was what we believed until his career-cannibalizing kinks were revealed in 2021.)
Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers have two kids
Four years after tying the knot on May 22, 2010, Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers welcomed their first child, Harper Grace, on December 1, 2014. Their second child, a son named Ford Armand Douglas, was born on January 15, 2017. Chamber's pregnancy with Harper went so smoothly that her husband was amazed. "My wife is like a professional pregnant woman. She doesn't get tired, she doesn't get sick, she doesn't complain," Hammer told E! News. "She seems like she loves being pregnant and was just built to be pregnant." Chambers told The Tot that her pregnancy was a "dream," noting that she suspects the changes she'd made to her diet might be a big reason why. "I have to say, I feel best when I'm pregnant," she said.
Chambers loved being pregnant, but it didn't come without some life-threatening challenges. She was diagnosed with placenta previa, a condition that causes birthing complications due to cervical blockage caused by the placenta. One out of 200 women experience it, and it can cause heavy bleeding pre and post-pregnancy. Luckily for Chambers, she did not have severe complications during childbirth. As she recalled to The Tot, after going through 18 hours of labor, she was so weak that the doctor gave her a walking epidural. She continued, "Harper made her entrance very shortly after and like any mom will tell you, the previous 20+ hours were quickly forgotten!"
They quarantined in the Cayman Islands
Armie Hammer, Elizabeth Chambers, and their two children hunkered down in the Cayman Islands during the pandemic quarantine in 2020. As People reported at the time, the Chambers-Hammer family was there for spring break, but the trip went longer than expected due to travel restrictions.
The unplanned stay turned out to be a blessing for Chambers. An established food enthusiast — never forget that she made it to People's "Most Beautiful Foodie" list in 2017 and has her own bakery chain — she went on food hunts in the area. "I have traveled all over the world and have experienced some of the most amazing food, yet I am always blown away by the dishes I experience in the Cayman Islands," she told Forbes. The Hammers enjoyed the best of what the Cayman Islands had to offer, and while they were not out exploring the food scene, they enjoyed sourdough bread and baked banana bread like most of the world.
After he returned to the United States, Hammer kept himself occupied during the pandemic by helping a friend rebuild a motel in the desert outside of Joshua Tree National Park. As he told Jimmy Kimmel, "I was literally sitting at home picking boogers and seeing how far I could flick them."
Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers split in 2020
In May 2020, Elizabeth Chambers took to Instagram to gush over husband Armie Hammer and mark a milestone anniversary. "[Ten] years married, twelve together, thirteen years as best friends. Happy Anniversary, my love. I'm beyond grateful for you, this decade, our family and the dreamiest Friday night anniversary sunset," she captioned the post showcasing some of their memories together. Two months later, the pair would surprise their fans by announcing their split. Taking to their respective Instagrams, Hammer and Chambers said they had mutually decided to end their marriage. "As we enter into this next chapter, our children and relationship as co-parents and dear friends will remain our priority," they wrote.
In the wake of Hammer and Chamber's split, the Daily Mail reported that their marriage hit rough waters in 2019 when Hammer was out filming "Rebecca" and Chambers apparently found flirty texts from a woman named "Adeline" in his phone. Speaking to British GQ about the separation, Hammer shared that it was a tough experience, but they had their priorities sorted. He said, "Elizabeth and I are two adults making this decision, and the priority is how do we do it in a way that affects our children the least?"
In October 2020, Hammer requested Chambers to bring their two children to Los Angeles after he filed for joint custody, alleging she had been delaying their return. The trio was staying in the Cayman Islands where the kids went to the same school Hammer once attended.
Armie Hammer's catastrophic downfall
In January 2021, Armie Hammer's life would change forever. The actor started making headlines for all the wrong reasons after the anonymous Instagram account called House of Effie released screengrabs of sexually graphic messages by him with mentions of cannibalism and rape fantasies (via Daily Mail). The netizens reeled from shock and confusion as the images went viral, however, the legitimacy of the messages remained to be verified. Soon, one ex, a woman named Courtney Vucekovich, revealed to Page Six that he did have cannibalistic fantasies, things got pretty chaotic, and he subsequently dropped out of his role in "Shotgun Wedding."
Hammer's story was the perfect tabloid fodder, but was he merely a victim of kink-shaming? A former flame wouldn't agree. Speaking with Page Six, his ex Paige Lorenze accused him of non-consensual knife play and manipulation. Hammer lost one project after another, and his talent reps and publicist dropped him. In March 2021, Effie filed a police report against him, accusing him of raping her in 2017. Hammer didn't face any charges and alleged that the woman was sending him raunchy messages until 2020.
Hammer's legal team has denied all the allegations against him. They said in a statement provided to People, "From day one, Mr. Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with Effie — and every other sexual partner of his for that matter — have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Elizabeth Chambers stayed focused on their kids
In February 2021, Armie Hammer's estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers broke her silence amid the scandal on Instagram. "For weeks, I've been trying to process everything that has transpired. I am shocked, heartbroken, and devastated," she captioned the post. "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. I support any victim of assault or abuse and urge anyone who has experienced this pain to seek the help she or he needs to heal." Chambers added that she wouldn't share further comments on the matter and said their children would be her top priority.
That same month, Hammer and Chambers sold their house. As the New York Post noted, their abode was put on the market after they announced their separation in 2020. Days after news of the sale surfaced, Hammer moved out of the property, as a source told Page Six, "under the cover of night."
In April 2021, Chambers took to her Instagram stories to share that she had shifted her focus to work and healing, and her kids were still her main priority. "A lot I've wanted to share, but hasn't felt right [at the moment]," she added (via People).
They started dating different people after the separation
A year after her split with Armie Hammer, Elizabeth Chambers was ready for a new romance. A source told People that Chambers had decided not to dwell on the pain caused by Hammer's very public scandal and chose not to talk about him at all as she dated someone new. Meanwhile, Hammer had been dating a dental hygienist in the Cayman Islands. "They were recently on a 'staycation' out East, the other side of the island from where they live," a source told People in May 2021. "They seem happy and comfortable with each other. They seem to have lots of friends and she introduces him to any friends who haven't met him before when they are out."
Towards the end of that month, a source close to the actor told Vanity Fair that he had reached out to Chambers to tell her that he wanted to check himself into rehab. "This is a clear sign that he is taking back control [of] his life and knows that this [is] a step towards his overall well-being," the tipster said. Chambers reportedly supported him throughout the process. Following his stay at the facility, Hammer spent time with his kids in the Cayman Islands and kept a low profile as he recovered.
Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers want to rebuild
In February 2022, People reported that Armie Hammer and his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, were rebuilding their relationship. "The past year hasn't been easy, but she and Armie have always had love for each other. They're slowly figuring things out as a couple, but being parents to their two kids will always come first," a source told the outlet. A few days later, another source reached out to Us Weekly and revealed there was nothing romantic going on between the two and they were solely focused on co-parenting. A month later, Chambers shared a picture of their family enjoying some quality time together.
He could rebuild his relationship with his loved ones, but will his career bounce back? Only time can tell. Meanwhile, Hammer has other career choices in hand. A source told Variety in July 2022 that he was selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands. "The reality is he's totally broke, and is trying to fill the days and earn money to support his family." After the report went viral, his attorney, Andrew Brettler said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, "I just it's sh**** that, if he is selling timeshares, the media is shaming him for having a 'normal job.' What's the story here?"
Following the timeshare story, People reported Hammer was back in Los Angeles. In August 2022, the Daily Mail shared photos of the actor out and about with Chambers and their kids.