Mickey Rourke is set to be removed from his Los Angeles rental property after rejecting money raised by supporters online.
A judge has now granted an eviction order, awarding possession of the home to the landlord and ending Rourke’s lease agreement after he allegedly failed to pay $60,000 owed on the property.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rourke received a three-day notice in December demanding he either cover the overdue rent or move out of the Beverly Grove home. The report states he did not comply.
By late December, the landlord filed an eviction case tied to the unpaid balance. In response, people from Rourke’s management side launched a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to raise the money.
The fundraiser was created by Kimberley Hines, an assistant to Rourke’s manager. The page description said it was made with Rourke’s 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 campaign quickly exceeded expectations, bringing in more than $102,000 within 48 hours and passing its original goal.
Rourke later spoke out about the fundraiser, calling it “humiliating” and telling fans not to contribute.
In a lengthy video posted to his Instagram, Rourke said: “Something’s come up that… I’m really frustrated, confused, and I don’t understand… Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me, to donate money, like charity. And that’s not me, OK?
“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 went on: “This thing is very embarrassing… Don’t give any money, and if you gave money, get it back. It’s really humiliating. They say it’s up to $100,000. I wouldn’t take a f**king nickel of charity from anybody.”
While Rourke did not set up the page himself, Hines has maintained that her assistant posted it on her behalf and that Rourke had been informed beforehand.
Despite that, Rourke again encouraged anyone who had contributed to request refunds.
In the same video, he also described what he called an ongoing dispute with the property’s new owners, claiming the house had serious problems that were not being addressed.
“I said I’m not paying rent, because there’s mice, there’s rats, the floor is rotten, one bathtub there is no water,” he said in the video to fans.