Mickey Rourke Launches GoFundMe to Raise Rent Money
Mickey Rourke attends the Tribeca Film Festival world premiere of "Ashby" at the SVA Theatre on Sunday, April 19, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Actor Mickey Rourke has turned to crowdfunding as he faces possible eviction from his Los Angeles home.
A friend and member of Rourke’s management team launched a GoFundMe campaign on Sunday with the actor’s permission, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The fundraiser describes an urgent situation involving the threat of eviction and says the money will be used to cover immediate housing-related expenses. The campaign has set a goal of $100,000, and as of early Monday, more than $47,000 had been raised.
Rourke’s legal troubles are playing out in landlord-tenant court rather than on screen. The 73-year-old actor is facing eviction from a Los Angeles rental property after allegedly falling tens of thousands of dollars behind on rent, according to a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Court records indicate Rourke was served a three-day notice on Dec. 18 demanding payment or possession of the property, but he reportedly did neither, the Los Angeles Times reported. By that point, unpaid rent had reached $59,100.
According to court documents, Rourke signed a lease in March for the three-bedroom, 2.5-bath home at a monthly rent of $5,200, which was later increased to $7,000. The 1920s Spanish-style bungalow—once rumored to have hosted novelist Raymond Chandler—is owned by Eric Goldie.
Goldie is seeking back rent, legal fees, and damages, and has asked the court to terminate the rental agreement, People reported. Attorneys for Goldie were unavailable for comment, and a representative for Rourke did not respond to media inquiries.
Born Philip Andre Rourke Jr., the former boxer rose to fame in the 1980s with roles in films such as Diner, Rumble Fish, 9½ Weeks, and The Pope of Greenwich Village. His career later faltered amid personal struggles. In a 2008 interview, Rourke said he had lost his home, marriage, credibility, and career.
He later staged a comeback with Sin City in 2005 and The Wrestler in 2008, earning an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win.
More recently, Rourke appeared briefly on Celebrity Big Brother UK but exited the show after producers cited inappropriate language and unacceptable behavior. His manager has said he plans to pursue legal action over what she described as a pay dispute and public humiliation, arguing that producers were aware of Rourke’s controversial public image when casting him. Rourke reportedly rented the bungalow around the same time he left the show, according to Fox News.