Trigger Warning: The following article has graphic depictions of sexual assault. 

In the last month, Armie Hammer has been accused by a number of women of predatory behavior and sexual assault. His alleged direct messages with victims, including voice memos, have been spread across the internet.

I feel like we’ve seen this exact scenario millions of times. What more is there to say that countless other survivors have not already said? A rich, powerful, white man assaulted women he was close to. He got away with it then and will most likely get away with it now, albeit without a few superficial comforts.

But Hammer’s case in particular demonstrates how powerful men in Hollywood are protected simply because they are wealthy and men — not because they are artists.

For instance, Marlon Brando is regarded as a great actor. Brando also raped his co-star on screen. The reason he is not generally known as a rapist is not because he is a great actor, but because our social structures are built to forgive rapists regardless of artistic talent. 

Mediocre actors such as Armie Hammer, who turn out to be horrific abusers, are just as protected. The industry is designed to protect these men not because they are talented, but because sexual assault is just not taken seriously.

“The stories being perpetuated in the media are a misguided attempt to present a one-sided narrative with the goal of tarnishing Mr. Hammer’s reputation, and communications from the individuals involved prove that,” claimed Hammer’s lawyer in a statement to Variety.

Hammer himself has been “not responding to these bulls— claims,” which he further labeled as “vicious and spurious online attacks against me.”

The “spurious” online claims involve a wide array of now infamous DMs, in which he admits to being a cannibal, fantasies about eating parts of his partners and engages in bondage and discipline, domination and submission, as well as sadism and masochism dialogue. 

But the most disturbing messages are the ones in which Hammer casually and brazenly admits to violating his partners without their consent. In one DM, he admits to prolonging a sexual encounter, despite the partner stating she wanted to stop — there is no way to characterize this behavior other than rape.

Although the messages haven’t been officially verified, they are further supported by interview material, in which Hammer openly admits to being rough with his sexual partners and admiring Marquis de Sade, who intellectualized sexual abuse. 

Moreover, this is not the first time DMs such as these have circulated. In July — when Hammer was still married to a woman he claimed to respect — a screenshot of messages between him and a fan were leaked, involving similar BDSM language.

Past partners of his have also come forward with disturbing allegations, as well as confirmed the validity of the DMs. App developer Courtney Vucekovich — who dated Hammer for a period — said the relationship was so draining she ended up performing sexual acts that were out of character for her and was treated for trauma and PTSD.

As of now, it seems as if Hollywood is slowly rejecting Hammer. He has stepped down from multiple projects, and multiple magazines report him being blacklisted.

“He’s not Tom Cruise,” a publicist said in an interview with Variety. “He keeps getting cast, but it’s never a hit at the box office. Who is going to fight in this day and age for a star who has this complicated of a story surrounding him?”

But that’s exactly what makes all of this so disturbing. If someone such as Cruise were responsible for abusing and sexually assaulting women, why would he merit any kind of protection? Moreover, Hammer isn’t Cruise by a long shot. And yet, parts of the industry protected him with the same kind of fervor.

All of these discussions about separating the art from the artist only serve to cover up the fact that real people have been hurt and the perpetrator was allowed to conduct this abuse with impunity.

Even if Hammer were a Cruise type of actor, it wouldn’t justify him getting away with sexual assault. No amount of talent — or mediocrity — should protect you from that.

At Boston University, the same lenience is allowed for sexual assault perpetrators on campus.

Campus Survivors organized a protest Sunday to call on the University to address its sexual assault problem. You can help by emailing the administration to voice your support and demands.