'I'd Rather Pull The Trigger': Mickey Rourke Slams 'Humiliating' GoFundMe

In the glitzy, often unforgiving landscape of Hollywood, few stories are as raw as that of Mickey Rourke. But this week, the 73-year-old Oscar nominee found himself at the centre of a drama he neither scripted nor approved. In a move that has left the 9 ½ Weeks star 'frustrated and confused', a GoFundMe page was launched to rescue him from a mounting debt of £47,000 ($60,000) in unpaid rent.

For a man who built a career on grit and a 'wild man' reputation, the public plea for charity has felt less like a lifeline and more like a betrayal of his deepest principles. Taking to Instagram, Rourke furiously rejected the campaign, telling his followers, 'If I needed money, I wouldn't ask for no f------ charity. I'd rather stick a gun up my a-- and pull the trigger.'

Dignity Over Dollars: Mickey Rourke Rejects the Charity Campaign

The saga began on Sunday, January 4, 2026, when Liya-Joelle Jones, assistant to Rourke's long-term manager, Kimberly Hines, set up the digital fundraiser. Titled 'Support Mickey to Prevent Eviction', the page sought to raise £78,000 ($100,000) to settle Rourke's arrears at his Los Angeles home, a historic Spanish bungalow once inhabited by The Big Sleep author Raymond Chandler.

Titled 'Support Mickey to Prevent Eviction', the page sought to raise £78,000 ($100,000) to settle Rourke's arrears at his Los Angeles home, a historic Spanish bungalow once inhabited by The Big Sleep author Raymond Chandler.

While the campaign organisers claimed it was created with Rourke's 'full permission', the actor's subsequent reaction suggests a profound breakdown in communication. Taking to Instagram to address his 300,000 followers, Rourke did not mince his words.

'Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me, to donate money, like charity. And that's not me, OK?' he declared. 'This thing is very embarrassing,' he added, urging fans who had already pushed the total past the £70,000 mark to claw their money back. 'I wouldn't take a f---ing nickel of charity from anybody. It's really humiliating.'

The Eviction Crisis: The Reality Behind Mickey Rourke's Rental Dispute

The financial pressure Rourke faces is, however, documented in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Records show that the actor received a three-day notice to pay or quit in late December 2025.

Rourke originally signed a lease for the three-bedroom property in March 2025 at £4,100 ($5,200) a month, a figure that later rose to £5,500 ($7,000). The landlord, Eric Gold, is now seeking the full £47,000 in back rent, alongside legal fees and the termination of the lease.

Hines, his manager, defended the fundraiser as a 'nice gesture' intended to prevent her client from becoming homeless after he moved into a local hotel. She insisted there was no 'mal intent' and promised that if Mickey continues to reject the funds, every penny will be returned to the fans.

Rourke, meanwhile, insists the issue is a dispute over the property's condition, maintaining that he has 'too much pride' to solve a legal spat with the public's pocketbook.

A Helping Hand: Mickey Rourke Offered a Scarface Lifeline

In a quintessentially Hollywood twist, Rourke's public struggle has caught the eye of indie director Eric Spade Rivas. Seeking to offer a genuine way for the star to earn his keep, Rivas has extended an offer for Rourke to appear in a cameo for the upcoming spinoff Scarface: Resurrection. Though the fee is a modest £785 ($1,000) for a single scene, Rivas insists there is no 'bad blood' following a previous failed collaboration on The Duke of New York.

For Rourke, who credits his survival to his dogs and years of therapy, the goal is simple: to get back to work on his own terms.

As the GoFundMe page remains in a state of flux, the veteran actor of the silver screen is determined to weather this storm without a nickel of charity, proving that even at 73, his spirit remains as unbreakable as ever.