Fundraiser for Mickey Rourke is on hold as evicted actor and his team figure out next steps

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A fundraising effort to help Mickey Rourke with housing has stalled because the actor turned down over $100,000 in donations from fans and supporters this week.

The GoFundMe campaign was temporarily paused on Thursday while Kimberly Hines, who has managed Rourke for nine years, provided an update on the situation.

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Mickey Rourke is refusing a $100,000 donation his fans quickly collected for him. Interestingly, his manager reports that film offers are starting to come in again after this show of support.

We are incredibly grateful for your kindness and support for Mickey during this difficult time. Every donation means a lot to us, and we appreciate you all. We’re still working hard to find a solution and are discussing the best way forward with Mickey.

Michael Rourke, 73, stated in a video released Monday that he was unaware of who created the online fundraising campaign to help him avoid eviction. The campaign, launched Sunday by his team, was intended to cover his $60,000 in back rent. By Tuesday morning, it had exceeded its $100,000 goal. Many of the over 2,700 donors also shared messages explaining how much Rourke’s movies meant to them.

Rourke, a well-known actor from the 1980s who starred in films like ‘Barfly’ and ‘Angel Heart’ and received an Oscar nomination for ‘The Wrestler,’ said he’s completely unfamiliar with GoFundMe. He explained that he prefers to keep things simple and doesn’t rely on outside help like that.

Later in the video, he made it really clear he’d never ask fans or strangers for money. He said it’s just not who he is, and anyone who knows him would tell you the same. He admitted it’s incredibly humiliating and embarrassing to even think about asking for handouts.

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Mickey Rourke, the actor, was facing eviction due to nearly $60,000 in back rent. Fortunately, his management team started a GoFundMe campaign and quickly raised that amount – and more – to help him cover the debt.

Rourke explained he faced a difficult housing situation in Beverly Grove. The new owners of his long-term rental refused to make repairs and significantly increased the rent, jumping from $5,200 to $7,000 a month. He claims the property had serious issues, including rotting floors, lack of running water in certain areas, and a rodent infestation.

In December, actor Jonathan Rourke received an eviction notice, and his landlords are seeking $59,100 in back rent owed for the year 2025. Ricardo Villalobos, the lawyer for property owner Eric Goldie, did not respond to a request for comment from The Times regarding Rourke’s claims. The Times reviewed the eviction documents, which were filed on December 29th.

Hines didn’t respond to questions from The Times, but she told the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that it’s false that Robert Rourke was unaware of how the fundraiser started. She confirmed some of Rourke’s statements about the property’s condition and shared additional information. On Thursday, she updated the GoFundMe page with a link for anyone seeking a refund. Hines is listed as the recipient of the funds raised.

According to a report, she and her assistant shared their idea for a fundraiser with Robert Rourke’s assistant, and everyone agreed it could be beneficial. They then organized movers and a U-Haul to help Rourke and his three dogs relocate to a nearby hotel, and arranged for a longer-term apartment for him in Koreatown. She stated they did this before his landlords planned to change the locks on his current, severely rundown house.

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Hines explained that he wants Mickey Rourke to get back to work, not ask for handouts. He personally covered Rourke’s expenses during a recent financial hardship. Fortunately, Rourke has already received four movie offers in the last day, with more coming in – something Hines is thrilled about, as Rourke hadn’t been getting calls about work for quite some time.

According to one source, the actor is financially unpredictable, either spending lavishly or having very little. He reportedly lives paycheck to paycheck. His representative said it’s time for him to face the reality of budgeting with his Social Security income and any money he earns from acting jobs.

In his video, Rourke took some responsibility for his situation.

I really mismanaged my career and wasn’t always good at handling things with tact, confessed the star of “9½ Weeks.” It took over 20 years of therapy to heal from past hurts, but I’ve worked hard to overcome those challenges and I’m a different person now.

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I just heard that George Clooney, his wife Amal, and their twins are now officially French citizens! Apparently, they bought a place over there back in 2021, and now they’ve gone through the process to become citizens. How cool is that?

He told his supporters they deserve a refund, then reassured them that, like any difficult time, this too will pass. He plans to continue working and eventually things will return to normal. Until then, he asked them not to worry about him, saying he’s thankful for everything he has.

I’m self-sufficient – I have a home and enough to eat. I don’t want or need anyone’s help, and I wouldn’t accept it even if offered. My pride won’t allow it; this just isn’t the way I operate.

The fundraiser’s total donations decreased from over $100,000 at the start of the week to just under $97,000 by Thursday, after being temporarily stopped. On Wednesday evening, boxer Tony Rourke shared a link on his Instagram page to an article from World Boxing News explaining why the fundraising was paused.

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2026-01-09 03:31