Sam Amico
It was a difficult year for actor Armie Hammer. And Robert Downey Jr. knows difficult years — from many years ago.
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So after Hammer faced allegations of emotional abuse, manipulation, and violence, it was Downey who stepped up to steer Hammer toward rehab, per Vanity Fair.
“In fact, Downey, who has battled his own highly publicized Hollywood scandals and addictions, paid for the actor to spend nearly six months in the Florida rehabilitation facility the Guest House,” Vanity Fair reported, citing a dialed-in source.
It’s true that Downey had his own issues of drug abuse in the 1980s, perhaps the early 1990s. But he bounced back to remain one of Hollywood’s most-pursued leading men. Hammer has not yet been leading man-material in terms of star power, but at 35-years old, there’s still time.
First, though, he had to get ongoing substance abuse issues under control. Hammer, of course, is the son of businessman Michael Armand Hammer and the great-grandson of oily tycoon Armand Hammer.
Vanity Fair reported that a close friend said, “Everyone looks at Armie thinking that he’s had some sort of privileged life—and that must mean there were no problems in his youth and everything was peachy keen.
“But that’s not necessarily the way things go. Just because you come from an upbringing where financial resources are plentiful doesn’t mean life isn’t without problems.”
How is Hammer doing?
Hammer completed his rehab in December. Vanity Fair also reported that he has been staying below the radar and spending time with family in the Caymans.
“The actor’s estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers, the founder of Bird Bakery who has reportedly signed her own entertainment deal, has supported Hammer throughout the process, telling friends she wants what’s best for their family,” Vanity Fair reported.
Downey will be playing Lewis Strauss in the upcoming movie Oppenheimer, due out in 2023.
