The saga of Mickey Rourke‘s latest round of financial woes has taken another bizarre turn as the actor has released a video denouncing a GoFundMe set up in his name by his longtime manager, allegedly with his permission.
The fundraiser, launched early Sunday morning, is nearing its $100,000 goal —money meant to help Rourke remain in his home after being served an eviction notice for falling $60,000 behind in rent.
Seated with his beloved rescue dog Lucky on his lap, a distraught Rourke, in a fuchsia V-neck T-shirt and straw cowboy hat, addresses his nearly 500,000 Instagram followers.
“Something’s come up that I’m really frustrated, confused and I don’t understand,” Rourke, 73, says. “Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money. A charity.
“And that’s not me. If I needed money I wouldn’t ask for no charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger,” he continues. “Whoever did this, I don’t know why they did it. I wouldn’t know what a GoFundMe is in a million years.”
As reported exclusively by The Hollywood Reporter, the account was created by Liya-Joelle Jones, assistant to Kimberly Hines, Rourke’s manager for a decade. Hines and Jones both told THR that the GoFundMe was created “with Mickey’s permission.”
Hines now tells THR that Rourke may not have been completely clear on the details of how a GoFundMe works and is now embarrassed that the effort has become worldwide news.
Rourke, however, is denying any knowledge of who created the fundraiser and insists he would never turn to fans for financial help, an act of desperation he calls “humiliating,”
Rourke candidly admits he was terrible at maintaining finances throughout his career, with online estimates putting his net worth at its peak at $5 million.
“I did a terrible job managing my career. I wasn’t very diplomatic. I had to go to 20 years of therapy to get over that. But I’m not that person anymore. … I’m not that wild man I was 20 years ago,” he concedes.
Rourke goes on to pledge that he will reach out to his longtime lawyer, Bill Sobel, and return any money donated to the GoFundMe by fans.
“I would never ask strangers or fans for a nickel,” Rourke says. “It’s not my style. You ask anybody who knows me. It’s humiliating and fucking embarrassing… I want you to get your money back. All things will pass.
“There’s only one person I can think of that would do such a thing. I hope it’s not the person I’m thinking about,” he says.
Speaking to THR from Europe, Hines details the events that led to the GoFundMe launch and offers more background on Rourke’s current living situation.