Mickey Rourke says he is not behind the GoFundMe that was ostensibly initiated to help the Oscar nominee and former boxer avoid eviction.
The 73-year-old star of “The Wrestler” broke his silence late Monday in a 5-minute Instagram Reel amid reports that he’d been given three days’ notice last month to pay nearly $60,000 in back rent or face eviction from his Los Angeles bungalow, which spurred the crowd-funded campaign that’s thus far raised over $100,000.
“Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money, like in a charity. And that’s not me, OK?” said the New York native. “If I needed money, I wouldn’t ask for no f–king charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger. So whoever did this, I don’t know if they did it, why they did it. I don’t understand it. I wouldn’t know what a GoFund— foundation is in a million years.”
Though Rourke admitted to having “done a really terrible job in managing my career,” he said he has spent two decades in therapy “to get over the damage that was done to me years ago,” and is “not that person anymore.”
As for the fundraiser, the “9 1/2 Weeks” star says “There’s only one person I can think of that would do such a thing, and I hope that it’s not the person I’m not thinking about.”
Rourke shared that stopped paying rent because his landlords “wouldn’t fix anything” and he plans to go to court over the matter.
While he admits having borrowed money from a friend, Rourke said he “would never ask strangers or fans or anybody for a nickel.”
At the time of publication, the “Help Mickey Rourke Stay in His Home” GoFundMe — established Sunday by someone named Liya-Joelle Jones with Kimberly Hines listed as the beneficiary — has already raised $102,058 of its $100,000 goal.
Rourke ended his video assuring fans he’ll be fine. “I’m very grateful for what I have. I’ve got a roof over my head. I’ve got food to eat. Here, look, I’ve got bananas [holding up the fruit]. Everything’s OK.”
