Breaking: Armie Hammer Exits THE MINUTES on Broadway for 'Personal Reasons'

Armie Hammer's professional problems continue today, as BroadwayWorld has just learned that he will no longer star in The Minutes when it returns to Broadway next year.

"I have loved every single second of working on The Minutes with the family I made from Steppenwolf. But right now I need to focus on myself and my health for the sake of my family. Consequently, I will not be returning to Broadway with the production," said Hammer.

"Armie remains a valued colleague to all of us who have worked with him onstage and offstage on The Minutes. We wish only the best for him and respect his decision," reads statement from The Minutes.

As previously announced, Steppenwolf's production of The Minutes by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will return to Broadway in the 2021-2022 season.

Since becoming involved in an epic social media scandal earlier this year involving accusations of cannibalism and rape, Hammer has been dropped by his agency, WME, as well as has departed upcoming film projects, including Shotgun Wedding, The Offer, and Gaslit.

Hammer was in previews for The Minutes before Broadway shut down in last March. He previously starred on Broadway in Straight White Men.

The Minutes, the record-breaking hit production from Steppenwolf Theatre Company, takes a hard look at the inner workings of a city council meeting and the hypocrisy, greed and ambition that bubble to the surface when a newcomer to the small town of Big Cherry starts to ask the wrong questions. Why is someone on the council mysteriously missing? What happened to all those bicycles? Is there skullduggery afoot with the city's finances? What's the deal with the available parking space? What the F is going on with the Lincoln Smackdown? And why are The Minutes from the last meeting being kept secret? "Nothing in this explosive 90-minute play is as it seems...A real-life heart-in-the-mouth experience," declares the Chicago Tribune. Part "Parks & Recreation," part "Twilight Zone," this powerful, resonant, and funny portrayal of democracy in action proves that everything you know can change-it's just a matter of minutes. After all, the smallest towns keep the biggest secrets.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow