The ‘High’ Moment That Ended Johnny Depp’s Friendship With Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer has recently opened up about a surprising behind-the-scenes story involving his The Lone Ranger co-star Johnny Depp. Speaking on the July 28 episode of his Armie HammerTime podcast, the actor shared that in 2013, during the film’s promotional period, he was consuming an unusually high amount of cannabis and once caused Depp to get “super stoned” before an important press event.

According to Hammer, the time around the release of The Lone Ranger was a particularly wild chapter in his life. “I was smoking upwards of 15 to 20 joints a day,” Hammer admitted, adding with a laugh, “I loved marijuana roofie-ing people.” His friend and podcast co-host Ashton Ramsey quickly urged him to “self-censor” after the remark, but Hammer continued to share the story.

Ramsey set the stage for the anecdote, saying, “The most trouble you ever got into was when you basically got Johnny super stoned.” Hammer confirmed, explaining, “They never let me hang out with Johnny on the press tour after that. They would always keep us apart. They were like, ‘You two cannot hang out anymore.’ ”

Representatives for Depp have not yet responded to requests for comment.

A Moment That Changed the Press Tour Dynamic

The incident reportedly happened during the high-pressure promotional campaign for The Lone Ranger, which saw both Hammer and Depp traveling internationally to promote the movie. After the cannabis episode, publicists and handlers decided it would be best to keep the two actors separated for the remainder of the tour to avoid any further unexpected situations.

Hammer’s confession comes more than a decade after the event, and it adds another layer to the long history of colorful stories surrounding Depp’s career. While Depp has not confirmed Hammer’s version of events, the tale has quickly caught the attention of fans online.

Hammer’s Other Controversial Stories

This is not the first time in 2024 that Hammer has shared a story that made headlines. Earlier this year, he appeared on The Louis Theroux Podcast and spoke about an unusual hunting experience in which he took part in what he described as a “tradition.”

According to Hammer, during his first hunting trip, he was encouraged by friends to take part in a ritual involving the animal they had hunted. “You don’t eat the whole heart. One of the traditions is you take a bite out of the heart,” Hammer explained. He emphasized that it was not related to any extreme or harmful intentions but rather a symbolic act tied to a hunting rite of passage. “Everyone I know who went hunting for the first time had to do something similar,” he said.

Hammer stressed that his actions were not connected to the past allegations that had once made headlines. “You know what you have to do to actually be a cannibal? You have to actually eat human flesh. So no,” he stated, firmly distancing himself from those claims.

Life During The Lone Ranger Era

When The Lone Ranger premiered in 2013, Hammer was emerging as one of Hollywood’s promising young actors. The film paired him with Johnny Depp, who was portraying the iconic Tonto, while Hammer played the titular lawman. The movie was a big-budget Disney production directed by Gore Verbinski, known for his work on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Although the film received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office, the promotional campaign was extensive, spanning multiple countries and events. It was during this whirlwind period of interviews, photo calls, and premieres that the now-famous cannabis incident reportedly occurred.

Hammer’s comments give fans a glimpse into the less glamorous and more chaotic side of Hollywood press tours, where long hours, high stakes, and personalities can sometimes collide in unexpected ways.

Johnny Depp’s Current Projects

While Hammer has been more in the headlines for his personal revelations than his acting work recently, Johnny Depp has been making a gradual return to the film industry. Depp is set to star in Day Drinker, alongside Penélope Cruz and Madelyn Cline, marking his fourth collaboration with Cruz. The movie is notable as it represents his first major Hollywood role from a large distributor since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018.

In addition to his acting comeback, Depp recently directed Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, his first time in the director’s chair in over 25 years. The film is based on Dennis McIntyre’s play about Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani, with Riccardo Scamarcio portraying the artist and Al Pacino appearing as art collector Maurice Gangnat.

The project premiered in the United Kingdom in July, marking another significant step in Depp’s reemergence on the public stage.

The Public Reaction

Hammer’s candid retelling of the cannabis incident has sparked mixed reactions. Some fans have taken it lightheartedly, seeing it as an amusing tale of camaraderie between two actors. Others have pointed out that the context of substance use makes it a more complicated story.

Nevertheless, Hammer’s openness about his lifestyle during that era has reignited discussions about celebrity culture, personal responsibility, and the behind-the-scenes realities of film promotion.

A Decade Later: Hammer Reflects

In sharing these stories, Hammer seems to be in a period of reflection about the choices he made during his career peak. His tone on the podcast was humorous, but there was also an undercurrent of acknowledgment that his behavior had professional consequences—such as being kept away from a major co-star during a global press tour.

The actor did not specify whether he and Depp have remained in contact since the Lone Ranger days, but his recounting suggests that the incident left a memorable impression on everyone involved.

Moving Forward

As Hammer continues to share stories from his career, it’s clear he has embraced a more unfiltered public persona. Whether or not that approach will help or hinder a potential acting comeback remains to be seen. For now, these anecdotes provide fans with rare, unvarnished glimpses into the personalities and unpredictable moments that can define a movie’s promotional journey.

For Depp, the focus appears to be firmly on his creative work. With Day Drinker on the horizon and Modi gaining attention in the festival circuit, the actor is once again positioning himself in the spotlight—this time for his craft rather than off-screen drama.

One thing is certain: the story of Armie Hammer allegedly getting Johnny Depp “super stoned” during the Lone Ranger press tour will now live on as part of Hollywood’s growing collection of surprising, and sometimes bizarre, behind-the-scenes tales.