Hammer says sorry to Affleck for sexual misconduct comment

Armie Hammer has apologized to Casey Affleck for questioning why he won the 2016 Best Actor Oscar when he was accused of sexual assault.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month, Hammer said it was a double standard for Affleck to have won such a prestigious award while facing two sexual harassment cases while Nate Parker was placed in a ‘director’s jail’ after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced.

In a statement released on Friday through his PR firm, Hammer said he ‘misspoke’ when comparing the cases.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month, Hammer (pictured, December 2017) said it was a double standard for Affleck to have won such a prestigious award while facing two sexual harassment cases while Nate Parker was placed in a 'director's jail' after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced

Armie Hammer (right) has apologized to Casey Affleck (left) for comments he made in a Hollywood Reporter interview questioning why Affleck won a Best Actor Oscar when he was accused of sexual assault while Nate Parker was placed in a ‘director’s jail’ after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced

Hammer said he intended to make a 'social comment about double standards in general' but instead made a poor comparison that he 'deeply regrets making' (Pictured, Parker in February 2017)

Hammer said he intended to make a ‘social comment about double standards in general’ but instead made a poor comparison that he ‘deeply regrets making’ (Pictured, Parker in February 2017)

‘I would like to sincerely apologize to Casey and his family for my recent comments about him in my THR interview. Without knowing the facts about the civil lawsuits at issue (which I now understand were settled), I misspoke,’ Hammer said in an email statement to Fox News.

‘I conflated sexual harassment cases with a criminal case involving sexual assault charges. The cases in which Casey was involved were not criminal and instead involved civil claims from his 2010 movie I’m Still Here,’ the 31-year-old actor continued.

In 2010, Affleck was sued for allegedly sexually harassing two female crew members on the set of the film I’m Still Here. The two cases were settled out of court and dismissed, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

One of the women claimed Affleck got into her bed while she was sleeping. The other alleged he violently pressured her to stay in his hotel room. The claims were settled in court for an undisclosed amount later that year.

In the initial interview, Hammer drew a comparison between the two men: ‘[Parker] had one incident – which was heinous and atrocious – but his entire life is affected in the worst possible way. And the other guy won the highest award you can get as an actor. It just doesn’t make sense.’

Affleck won the Best Actor Oscar in 2016 for his role in Manchester by the Sea. 

Hammer said he intended to make a ‘social comment about double standards in general’ but instead made a poor comparison that he ‘deeply regrets making’.

In 2010, Affleck (pictured, July 2017) was sued for allegedly sexually harassing two female crew members on the set of the film I'm Still Here. The two cases were settled out of court and dismissed, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Hammer (pictured, December 2017) said in his statement that he 'conflated sexual harassment cases with a criminal case involving sexual assault charges'

In 2010, Affleck (left) was sued for allegedly sexually harassing two female crew members on the set of the film I’m Still Here. The two cases were settled out of court and dismissed, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hammer (right) said in his statement that he ‘conflated sexual harassment cases with a criminal case involving sexual assault charges’

Hammer said in the initial interview that Parker's Birth of a Nation was up for an Oscar last year before the director's 1999 rape allegation was brought up. He and his Penn State roommate were accused of raping a student. Parker (pictured, February 2017) was acquitted

Hammer said in the initial interview that Parker’s Birth of a Nation was up for an Oscar last year before the director’s 1999 rape allegation was brought up. He and his Penn State roommate were accused of raping a student. Parker (pictured, February 2017) was acquitted

‘I also didn’t mean to insinuate, nor do I believe, that Casey or anyone from his camp had anything to do with leaked information that took place during the press for ‘Birth of a Nation,’ Hammer said.

Hammer said in the initial interview that Parker’s 2016 period drama Birth of a Nation was up for an Oscar last year before the director’s 1999 rape allegation was brought up.

Parker and Jean Celestin, Parker’s college roommate from Penn State and the co-writer of Birth of a Nation, were accused of raping a student when they attended the university in 1999.

Celestin was found guilty of sexual assault, but it was overturned when the student did not testify. She reportedly killed herself in 2012.

Parker was acquitted of the crime, but was later accused of exposing himself to a female student trainer.



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