Mickey Rourke has denied that he approved an online fundraiser to help him avoid eviction.
Rourke, 73, said he was “frustrated and confused” by the situation in a video he posted to Instagram Monday, Jan. 5.
“Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money, like in a charity, and that’s not me, OK? If I needed money, I wouldn’t ask for no [expletive] charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger,” the Oscar-nominated actor said.
“Whoever did this, I don’t know why they did it, I don’t understand it. I wouldn’t know what a GoFund foundation is in a million years,” Rourke continued. “You know, my life is very simple, I don’t go to outside sources like that. And yeah, it is embarrassing, but I’m sure I’ll get over it like anything else.”
A GoFundMe entitled “Help Mickey Rourke Stay in His Home” was created two days ago with the intent to help Rourke pay roughly $60,000 in owed rent, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The campaign page indicates that it was organized by Liya-Joelle Jones, a friend and member of Rourke’s management team.
“Mickey is facing a very real and urgent situation: the threat of eviction from his home,” the campaign reads. “This fundraiser is being created with Mickey’s full permission to help cover immediate housing-related expenses and prevent that from happening.”
Rourke is facing eviction from his Los Angeles home after failing to pay nearly $60,000 in rent over the past nine months, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Court documents filed by Rourke’s landlord on Dec. 28 indicate that the 73-year-old former boxer was issued a three-day notice on Dec. 18 to pay rent or leave his three-bedroom home, the outlet reported. As of the filing, Rourke had not vacated the premises or paid the $59,100 he owed in rent.
Rourke began renting the house in March for $5,200 a month, but the monthly payment was later raised to $7,000, the L.A. Times reported. The home is described in a Zillow listing as a “nicely upgraded Spanish bungalow” that was once the home of American novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler.
Rourke addressed his financial state in his Instagram video, saying, “COVID and the writers’ strike killed my money, but I was in a really bad situation with the place I was renting.”
“Everything was good for five or six years, and then two scumbags from New York bought the house and they wouldn’t fix anything,” he continued. “But I would never ask strangers or fans or anybody for a nickel. I mean, that’s not my style.”
Rourke even assured fans that has “a roof over my head” and “food to eat,” adding that he is “very grateful for what I have.”
With that, the actor encouraged fans to not “give any money” to the GoFundMe, adding “and if you gave money, get it back.”
“I’m going to talk to my lawyer — I hate talking to him, but I’ve had him forever and I love him. But I’m going to talk to Bill and get to the bottom of this,” Rourke said.
“Just get your money back, please,” he concluded. “I don’t need anybody’s money and I wouldn’t do it this way. I got too much pride, man.”
The GoFundMe has surpassed its $100,000 goal since its inception. The largest donation was $5,000 from an anonymous donor, with the second largest donation being $2,500, followed by $2,000.
Despite more than 2,000 total donations and supportive comments, prospective donors have started to question the campaign’s authenticity after Rourke spoke out.
“Question to the organizers: why does Mickey deny to have any connection to this (as stated in his latest Instagram post)? Please clarify,” a comment on the GoFundMe reads.
MassLive has reached out to Rourke’s team for comment.
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