(CMR) Armie Hammer, a US actor who lived in the Cayman Islands, has stepped away from his role in Shotgun Wedding after messages with graphic sexual content allegedly sent by him went viral.
Hammer, who is currently visiting his family in the Cayman Islands, has described the recent scandal as ‘vicious' and ‘spurious'.
“I’m not responding to these bullshit claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic. Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I’m grateful to them for that,” Hammer said in a statement.
There is no confirmation that Hammer sent the messages which had graphic sexual fantasies, including cannibalism and rape.
Screenshots of the messages were originally published by an Instagram account called House of Effie.
According to a Daily Mail report, Hammer's estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, has been devastated by the recent scandal. Since early last year, Chambers and their two children have been in the Cayman Islands.
After months of being separated from his children, the actor joined his family in the Cayman Islands last month.
Hammer was to co-star with Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding, for which production was slated to begin early this year.
Hammer was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved with his family to the Cayman Islands in 1993, where he lived until he was 13 years old.
While in the Cayman Islands, he attended the Grace Christian Academy, a school that his father set up.
His first leading role in a film came with his portrayal of the Christian evangelist Billy Graham in Billy: The Early Years, which premiered in October 2008. He has since landed roles in numerous films, including Mirror Mirror, The Lone Ranger, Entourage, and Rebecca.
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