Not even two months into 2021, harrowing stories of sexual and physical abuse allegedly suffered at the hands of several high-profile men have spread rampantly through social media. Beloved Grammy-winning artists and prominent fashion designers face accusations of rape, sexual harassment and even cannibalism.

When Armie Hammer’s name trended on Twitter last month, it wasn’t because he was set to star alongside Jennifer Lopez in an upcoming film. Or that production for the highly anticipated “Call Me By Your Name” sequel might start this year. Instead, it was because he supposedly wanted to barbeque his girlfriend’s ribs.

A year ago, the golden-globe nominated actor was known for his piercing blue eyes, muscular build and his steamy make-out sessions with Timothée Chalamet in “Call Me By Your Name.” His boyish good-looks earned him the title of one of Hollywood’s heartthrobs, right next to fellow actor Ryan Gosling.

However, in 2021, he’s known for possibly being a cannibal, a murderer and an abuser. 

Hammer’s accusations first began to swirl in early January when someone posted screenshots of private DMs between him and another woman on Instagram. In the messages, which have yet to be verified, Hammer allegedly said that he wanted to “drink (her) blood” and described himself as “100% a cannibal.”

In another round of unverified graphic messages, leaked by the same account just days later, Hammer supposedly discussed his rape fantasies and cannibalistic urges with the woman, at one point saying how he wanted to cut off her toe. The conversations allegedly spanned from Oct. 2016 to Feb. 2020, and while their validity is still unclear, his former girlfriend, Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, said they were real in a Twitter post.

After the screenshots began to spread online, two more of his exes came forward, corroborating the claims with gruesome details of their relationships with Hammer.

One of his exes, Courtney Vucekovich, spoke to Page Six about how he would fantasize about breaking her ribs off, and then barbecuing and eating them.

Shortly after that, another one of his former girlfriends, Paige Lorenze, came forward with details of how he allegedly abused her. During their relationship, which lasted four months near the end of 2020, the 22-year-old college student claims that Hammer repeatedly left her with bruises and scars, and wanted to make her his sex slave.

Lorenze appeared on “The Dr. Oz Show,” where she spoke about how Hammer branded her with a knife without her consent. According to her, he carved the letter “A” onto her pelvis and proceeded to lick the blood from the wound, exposing it to infection.

She also said that he would frequently engage in “knife play” during sex, cutting off her underwear and dragging the knife up and down her body. In private Instagram messages that she posted online, Hammer told her how he wanted her to become his “perfect little slave.”

Like Vucekovich, she also spoke about how he also supposedly commented about wanting to “consume her” and eat her ribs.

Since ending their relationship, she said she’s had to seek therapy to deal with the extensive psychological trauma that he left her with.

In the wake of Lorenze’s claims surfacing, Hammer and his family, including his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, have remained mostly silent.

In July 2020, Chambers and Hammer announced their amicable split after 10 years of marriage and two kids. According to Entertainment Tonight, Chambers is “in complete shock” and “horrified” at the allegations. Then, in a brief statement on Instagram, she formally addressed the scandal by saying that she was “heartbroken” and “devastated” by the claims, and took time to process the news.

After rumors began to spread that he was dropped from two upcoming film projects, “Shotgun Wedding” and “The Offer,” he issued a statement saying that he wouldn’t respond to the “bullshit claims.” He also called them “vicious and spurious online attacks.” While Variety reported that he was forced to leave production on both projects after the scandal blew up, he maintains that he chose to step-down to spend time with his kids.

Additionally, in a statement to Variety, Hammer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, continued to deny any of the allegations, calling them “patently untrue.” Hammer’s inside circle also says that the rumors are false and merely an attempt to damage his reputation.

While the accusations and messages remain unverified, Hammer has confirmed that content was stolen from his private Instagram. The graphic content includes videos of him snorting drugs off of his friend’s hand, drinking beer while driving, bragging about passing a drug test and scantily-clad women in his hotel room. So while it’s unclear whether Hammer is a cannibal, he continues to face increasing scrutiny over his possible drug addiction and violent sex life.

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