Mickey Rourke has shared his side of the story after reports emerged that he had been evicted from a rented home in Los Angeles.
The 73-year-old actor reportedly turned down around $100,000 that supporters raised through GoFundMe after news of his housing dispute began circulating.
Earlier this week, a judge sided with the homeowner, awarding possession of the property and ending Rourke’s lease. The ruling followed claims that the actor and former boxer had fallen behind on rent, owing $60,000.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rourke was issued a three-day notice in December instructing him to either pay the outstanding balance or leave the Beverly Grove home. Court records show the deadline passed without payment, which ultimately led to the eviction order.
Rourke was ordered on March 9 to move out of the property, and he has now explained why he stopped paying.
“The reason I stopped paying rent was because the living conditions in the house had become unacceptable,” he told E! News. “For months there were serious problems that repeatedly went unaddressed despite my efforts to have them fixed. Withholding rent was not a decision I made lightly. I simply could not continue paying for a house that was in such poor condition after so many attempts to have these issues corrected.
Court documents tied to the March 9 judgment do not reference those claims about the condition of the home and indicate the case was filed in default, resulting in a win for the landlord.
The eviction case was filed in late December over the alleged unpaid rent, and the situation later prompted a GoFundMe campaign launched by members of Rourke’s team.
The page was created by Kimberley Hines, described as an assistant to Rourke’s manager, and the fundraiser’s description said it was set up with his approval.
Part of the lengthy bio read: “Mickey is facing a very real and urgent situation: the threat of eviction from his home. This fundraiser is being created with Mickey’s full permission to help cover immediate housing-related expenses and prevent that from happening.”
The fundraiser brought in more than $102,000 within 48 hours, quickly exceeding its goal.
Rourke later commented on the fundraiser himself, calling the situation embarrassing and asking people not to contribute.
In a social media post, he told supporters to request refunds and made clear he did not want donations. “If I needed money, I wouldn’t ask for no f**king charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my a** and pull the trigger,” he said.