Shia LaBeouf, Armie Hammer and the Curse of Legacy Cannibalism

Tell Me About Your Father

On this special double episode of Tell Me About Your Father, hosts Erin and Elizabeth take a graphic look at familial curses, generational trauma and the rules of inheritance as they relate to addiction, abuse, and American men in power. We're looking at two actors in the news right now—satiric “actual cannibal,” Shia LaBeouf, and actual alleged cannibal, Armie Hammer—both facing multiple credible accusations of sexual assault and battery, abuse, and violent behavior. Neither has been charged with crimes (this year), though a civil suit bought by Shia's ex-girlfriend, musician FKA Twigs, is upcoming. LaBeouf recently discussed the allegations at length, and much more, on an episode of actor Jon Bernthal's Real Ones podcast. Meanwhile, a new documentary series on Discovery+ called House of Hammer exposes the dark and disturbing side of Armie's family going back four generations. Both Shia and Armie are currently attempting to rehabilitate their lives and careers, which include well-placed comeback ascension narratives since their alleged crimes were revealed just 1.5 years ago. Both men are fathers themselves at age 36. Shia grew up on food stamps; Armie comes from incredible wealth. Erin and Elizabeth look at how the nature vs, nurture debate plays out when it comes to grown men who abused their power and followed similar paths of chaos as the fathers they hold in conflicting esteem. Why is it different for Hollywood men behaving badly in public than it is for women, whose careers tend to fall apart over their addictions, even as they fall victim to the crimes perpetrated by men who so often get pass after pass? Why do we as a society have a tendency to race to forgive men/fathers their trespasses, even as they continue to trespass against us?

Note: This episode is long. And upsetting. Trigger warnings for discussion and descriptions of sexual assault are included throughout to allow listeners to skip ahead. Additional time codes are below:

PART 1 / Shia LaBeouf
0:00-3:00 Intro
3:00-25:19 Shia LaBeouf's childhood and history of arrests, plagiarization, and abuse allegations from FKA Twigs
25:19-31:51 Don't Worry, Darlin'
31:51-57:59 Revelations from Shia's Real Ones interview
57:59-1:05 Shia's newfound devotion to Catholicism, new movie, and whether true rehabilitation is possible in Hollywood

PART 2 / Armie Hammmer
1:05-1:11:22 Intro
1:11:22-1:27:00 Armie's career, January 2021 "downfall," and abuse allegations
1:27:00-1:52:45 The Hammer family tree and revelations from House of Hammer
1:52:45-2:10:38 Jeffrey Dahmer vs. Armie Hammer, Robert Downey Jr.'s outreach, and Hammer's ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers is the opposite of Camille Cosby
2:10:38-2:12:35 What our own dads have in common with serial killers besides their astrological signs
2:12:35-2:20:35 In summation!

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