Mickey Rourke has publicly denounced a GoFundMe fundraiser created in his name to help stop his eviction, calling the effort embarrassing and insisting he never asked for charity from fans.
GoFundMe Rejection
The 73-year-old actor addressed the controversy in a video posted to Instagram late Jan. 5, speaking directly to his nearly 500,000 followers while seated with his rescue dog, Lucky, on his lap. Wearing a bright fuchsia V-neck T-shirt and a straw cowboy hat, Rourke appeared visibly shaken as he rejected the fundraiser, which was launched over the weekend and quickly climbed toward its $100,000 goal.
“Something’s come up that I’m really frustrated, confused and I don’t understand,” Rourke said in the video. He then denounced the GoFundMe as charity, stressing that he would never ask fans or strangers for financial help. Rourke described the situation as “humiliating” and urged anyone who donated to requst a refund.
The fundraiser was reportedly created to help Rourke cover roughly $60,000 in back rent after he was served an eviction notice on his Los Angeles home. According to earlier reports, the GoFundMe was launched by Liya-Joelle Jones, assistant to Rourke’s longtime manager Kimberly Hines. Both Jones and Hines initially said the fundraiser was created with Rourke’s permission.
Hines later suggested that Rourke may not have fully understood how GoFundMe works and became upset once the campaign gained widespread media attention. She has said the money has not been distributed and would be returned if Rourke does not want it, The Guardian reported.
Rourke has denied having any knowledge of the fundraiser’s creation and questioned why it was launched at all. In the video, he admitted to long-standing financial missteps, acknowledging that he struggled to manage his career and money.
“I’m not that wild man I was 20 years ago,” Rourke said. He emphasized that pride and self-respect prevent him from accepting public donations, regardless of his circumstances.
Rourke also pledged to contact his longtime attorney to ensure that any money donated is returned.
