Mickey Rourke blasts 'embarrassing' GoFundMe fundraiser to help him pay his rent
Mickey Rourke asks fans for help
Mickey Rourke has started a GoFundMe as he faces being evicted from his Los Angeles home.
LOS ANGELES - Mickey Rourke is telling fans he is not behind an "embarrassing" GoFundMe campaign launched to help him pay his rent, urging fans to try and get their money back as the total reached nearly $100,000.
What they're saying:
In a video shared to his Instagram, Rourke made his stance on the fundraiser clear, using strong language to express his disapproval of the "charity" effort.
"Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money, like charity. And that’s not me, OK?" Rourke said. "If I needed money, I wouldn’t ask for no f---ing charity. I'd rather stick a gun up my a-- and pull the trigger."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mickey Rourke approves GoFundMe aiming to help actor avoid eviction
The actor admitted the public nature of the financial struggle was difficult to swallow.
"Whoever did this … I don’t know why they did it. I don’t understand it. I wouldn’t know what a GoFundMe foundation is in a million years," Rourke added. "Yeah, it is embarrassing, but I'm sure I'll get over it like everything else."
Rourke went on to urge those who donated to get their money back.
"I would never ask strangers or fans or anybody for a nickel. That's not my style. You ask anyone who knows me. It's humiliating and it's really f---ing embarrassing."
He told fans he is "grateful for what I have — I've got a roof over my head, I've got food to eat… everything's okay", and added: "Get your money back, please, I don't need anybody's money and I wouldn't do it this way, I've got too much pride."
Rourke said he was going to talk to his lawyer to "get to the bottom of this."
The backstory:
Rourke was recently served an eviction notice for a bungalow in Los Angeles after reportedly failing to pay nearly $60,000 in rent.
Rourke, whose real name is Philip Andre Rourke Jr, rented the property earlier this year, agreeing to pay $5,200 a month, which later went up to $7,000 a month, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by Fox News Digital.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mickey Rourke faces eviction over $59K unpaid rent debt from Los Angeles bungalow property
The three-bedroom home, built in 1926, is nearby the LA County Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market.
Rourke received a notice from his landlord on Dec. 18 to pay rent – of which he owes $59,100 in back rent — or vacate the property.
The plaintiff, landlord Eric Goldie, is asking for compensation for damages and attorney fees.
In response to the mounting debt, a member of Rourke’s management team launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $70,000 in just one day. However, Rouke has since publicly disavowed the campaign, describing the situation as "frustrating" and "confusing."
The other side:
Rourke's manager Kimberly Hines told reporters that the team acted out of a "nice gesture" because Rourke was being forced into a hotel. "Mickey was cool with getting help the other day," Hines told "Vulture." "And now Mickey’s like, ‘I'm not taking charity.'"
Hines has stated that all funds will be returned to fans if Rourke refuses to accept the money.
Dig deeper:
This latest financial hurdle is another chapter in Rourke's career marked by massive swings in fortune.
After finding stardom in the 1980s, Rourke famously left Hollywood in 1991 to pursue professional boxing, a move that resulted in severe facial injuries and multiple reconstructive surgeries.
"I had my nose broken twice. I had five operations on my nose and one on a smashed cheekbone," the former professional boxer recalled in a 2009 interview. He later claimed he was "blacklisted" in Hollywood for being difficult to work with before mounting a major comeback in 2008 with "The Wrestler," which earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Rourke is also known for films like 1986’s erotic romance "9 ½ Weeks," and 2005’s "Sin City."
Timeline:
1991–1994: Rourke leaves acting for a professional boxing career, suffering permanent physical damage.
1994 & 2007: The actor faces legal issues, including a domestic abuse arrest (charges later dropped) and a DUI-related arrest in Miami.
2008: "The Wrestler" revitalizes his career, earning him a Golden Globe and BAFTA.
Early 2025: Rourke agrees to leave "Celebrity Big Brother UK" following a warning over inappropriate language and behavior.
Current: Rourke faces eviction in Los Angeles while distancing himself from an unauthorized $70,000 GoFundMe.
What's next:
The GoFundMe has ceased accepting donations as of Jan. 6.
Rourke claims he has already received financial assistance from a private friend to move out of the "bad situation" with his previous landlord and is preparing to return to work on several new film projects.
The Source: This report is based on legal eviction filings obtained by Fox News Digital from the Los Angeles Superior Court and a verified video statement posted by Mickey Rourke to his official Instagram account on January 5, 2026. Reporting also incorporates direct statements from Rourke’s longtime manager, Kimberly Hines, provided to Vulture and The Hollywood Reporter, as well as publicly available campaign data from GoFundMe.