US actor Armie Hammer has said he is “very grateful” to prosecutors following a decision not to charge him over allegations of sexual assault.
The 36-year-old said he was looking forward to “beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together” in a statement shared on social media following the announcement by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Hammer, known for films including Call Me By Your Name, Hotel Mumbai and The Social Network, was accused of rape by a woman in Los Angeles in March 2021 and faced claims over explicit messages he allegedly sent on social media.
Prosecutors conducted an “extremely thorough review”, the district attorney’s office has now said, but there is currently “insufficient evidence” to charge Hammer.
“Sexual assault cases are often difficult to prove, which is why we assign our most experienced prosecutors to review them,” said Tiffiny Blacknell, director of the bureau of communications.
“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.”
She continued: “As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. We know that it is hard for women to report sexual assault.
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“Even when we cannot move forward with a prosecution, our victim service representatives will be available to those who seek our victim support services.
“Due to the complexity of the relationship and inability to prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter we are unable to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In his statement, Hammer wrote: “I am very grateful to the District Attorney for conducting a thorough investigation and coming to the conclusion that I have stood by this entire time, that no crime was committed.
“I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared.”
In the caption he added: “I would like to say a very special thank you to all of the people who have helped me get through this time. Onwards and upwards.”
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Following the allegations, Hammer stepped down from a film role opposite Jennifer Lopez and took to quarantining in the Cayman Islands during the pandemic. He was also replaced by Miles Teller in the TV series The Offer, a drama about the making of The Godfather.
Earlier this year, he spoke out about the allegations for the first time, revealing he was sexually abused as a teenager and saying he considered taking his own life in the aftermath of the claims against him.
The father-of-two, who has always vehemently denied all the claims, said in the interview with digital newsletter Air Mail: “I’m now grateful for everything that’s happened to me. I’m able to be there for my kids in a way I never was.”
In September, a three-part Discovery+ series titled House Of Hammer, produced by the actor’s aunt Casey Hammer, showed on-camera interviews with two of the actors alleged victims, in which they detailed some of their alleged abuse.
