Mickey Rourke Went Ballistic When He Found Out What His Manager Did Behind His Back

Mickey Rourke built a legendary career playing tough guys who never backed down.

But somebody just crossed a line the 73-year-old actor won't tolerate.

And Mickey Rourke went ballistic when he found out what his manager did behind his back.

Hollywood icon faces eviction from Los Angeles home

Mickey Rourke burst onto the scene in the 1980s with raw performances in Diner, Rumble Fish, and 9½ Weeks that made him one of Hollywood's brightest stars.

His brooding intensity and rugged good looks had studios fighting over him.

Then he walked away at the peak of his fame to pursue professional boxing, a decision that left him with facial injuries requiring extensive reconstructive surgery.

Rourke mounted an incredible comeback with his Oscar-nominated performance in The Wrestler in 2008.

The role seemed tailor-made for an actor who knew what it meant to fight your way back from the bottom.

But the years since haven't been kind to Rourke's bank account.

His net worth crashed from an estimated $5 million in early 2025 to just $50,000 today according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In December, Rourke received a three-day eviction notice demanding $59,100 in back rent for his three-bedroom Spanish bungalow in Los Angeles.

The historic property where crime novelist Raymond Chandler once lived had been Rourke's home since March 2025 when he signed a lease for $5,200 a month.

The landlord later jacked the rent up to $7,000 monthly.

Rourke blamed new owners from New York who he said refused to fix problems like mice and rats in the property.

Manager launches GoFundMe claiming she had actor's permission

That's when things got ugly.

Over the weekend, a GoFundMe page titled "Help Mickey Rourke Stay in His Home" appeared online with a $100,000 goal.

The page claimed it was created "with Mickey's full permission" by Liya-Joelle Jones, assistant to Rourke's longtime manager Kimberly Hines.

The campaign painted Rourke as abandoned by Hollywood and struggling with "lasting physical and emotional scars" from his boxing career.

Within 48 hours, fans donated over $100,000 to help their favorite actor.

The highest single donation hit $5,000 from an anonymous donor.

One fan wrote, "For all the joy and inspiration you gave to mankind, you deserve to get supported during hard times."

But there was one major problem with this heartwarming story.

Mickey Rourke had no idea the GoFundMe existed.

Rourke explodes in Instagram video denying any involvement

Monday night, a furious Rourke posted a video to Instagram with his rescue dog Lucky on his lap.

Wearing a pink V-neck and his signature cowboy hat, the actor didn't mince words.

"Something's come up that I'm really frustrated, confused and I don't understand," Rourke said.

"Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money, like charity. And that's not me, okay?"

Then Rourke really let loose.

"If I needed money, I wouldn't ask for no f***ing charity. I'd rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger."

Rourke said he had no clue what GoFundMe even was and would never turn to strangers for money.

"Whoever did this, I don't know why they did it. I wouldn't know what a GoFund foundation is in a million years."

The actor called the whole situation "humiliating" and "really f***ing embarrassing."

He urged fans who donated to get their money back immediately.

"I don't want anybody's money. I want you to get your money back," Rourke insisted.

"But I would never ask strangers or fans or anybody for a nickel. That's not my style."

Rourke admitted he'd borrowed money from a close friend to get through his tough spot but would handle things his own way.

Manager claims Rourke didn't understand how GoFundMe works

After Rourke's video went viral, his manager Kimberly Hines tried to do damage control.

Hines told The Hollywood Reporter that her assistant Jones launched the campaign as a "nice gesture" when Rourke suddenly needed a new place to stay.

She claimed Rourke gave permission but "may not have been completely clear on the details of how a GoFundMe works."

Hines said her team acted out of desperation when Rourke was served the eviction notice and had nowhere to go.

"We're trying to do the best that we can," Hines explained.

She promised if Rourke didn't want the money, it would be returned to donors.

But Rourke didn't buy that explanation for a second.

In his video, he hinted he knew exactly who was behind the campaign.

"There's only one person I can think of that would do such a thing, and I hope it's not the person I'm thinking about."

Rourke said he'd be calling his lawyer to "get to the bottom of this."

The actor admitted he'd done "a terrible job managing my career" over the years and wasn't diplomatic with people.

"I had to go to over 20 years of therapy to get over the damage that was done to me years ago," Rourke said.

But asking fans for charity crossed a line he'd never accept.

"I got too much pride, man," Rourke stated.

Hollywood's tough guy proved he still won't back down when someone tries to make him look weak.

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Sources:

• Deadline, "Mickey Rourke Did Not Set Up A GoFundMe Page To Pay The Rent, His Management Team Did," January 6, 2026.
• NBC News, "Mickey Rourke slams 'humiliating' GoFundMe efforts to help him pay back rent," January 5, 2026.
• Variety, "Mickey Rourke Denies He Set Up GoFundMe: 'Don't Need Anybody's Money'," January 6, 2026.
• The Hollywood Reporter, "Mickey Rourke Denounces GoFundMe for His Eviction," January 6, 2026.
• IBTimes UK, "Mickey Rourke Net Worth Revealed: Emergency GoFundMe Launched to Help Actor Save His LA Home," January 6, 2026.