Todd Williamson/NBCU/Getty; Discovery+
Courtney Vucekovich is speaking out about the new Armie Hammer docuseries and a photo featured in it that viewers discovered actually originated on Pinterest.
In discovery+’s House of Hammer that debuted Friday, Vucekovich recounts her past experiences with Hammer, 35, saying she “lost [her] entire sense of self” during her months-long relationship with him back in 2020. The doc includes text messages and voice notes allegedly sent by Hammer himself about their relationship and his fantasies.
Some viewers pointed out on TikTok and social media that a photo shown while Vucekovich described alleged injuries she sustained is a snapshot found online of a bite-mark tattoo. In the episode, she says as the image is shown onscreen, “I think Armie took that picture. He bites really hard. And he tells you to wear them like a badge of honor, almost like he convinced me I’m lucky to have it.”
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Vucekovich explains how the photo ended up in House of Hammer.
“When you are love-bombed, you receive multiple images in rapid succession. During my time with Armie, I received numerous messages including countless images and videos,” she says. “The bite mark shown was a photo sent by Armie within our archived text thread and over a year later, I believed it to have been a photo of me given that I have dozens of photos depicting his abuse on my body.”
Adds Vucekovich, “I have chosen to tell my story to shed light on what I experienced within my relationship in hopes others are not put in the same situation.”
RELATED: Armie Hammer’s Aunt ‘Wasn’t Shocked’ by Abuse Allegations Based on Her ‘Experiences’ with Her Family
[embedded content]
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
A spokesperson for the production company behind the docuseries, Talos Films, says, “We take seriously the responsibility of representing victims’ stories. When new information came forward about this series we immediately began investigating it and will make any appropriate changes as quickly as possible. We are proud of those who came forward to share their truth to the public — including Courtney Vucekovich and Casey Hammer — and stand firmly behind the important message in this docuseries.”
The photo is in the process of being removed from the docuseries.
In July 2020, Elizabeth Chambers, who shares two kids with Hammer, filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Months later, Hammer became embroiled in controversy after messages allegedly from the actor detailing violent sexual fantasies were leaked online. He was later accused of rape, which he denied.
A lawyer for Hammer, Andrew Brettler, previously said in a statement to Vanity Fair: “All interactions between Mr. Hammer and his former partners were consensual. They were fully discussed, agreed upon in advance with his partners and mutually participatory. The stories perpetuated on social media were designed to be salacious in an effort to harm Mr. Hammer, but that does not make them true.”
House of Hammer is now streaming on discovery+.
(PEOPLE previously worked with the the filmmakers’ production company on the 2021 documentary Rebuilding Hope: The Children of 9/11.)
