It’s been 48 hours Mickey Rourke would probably rather forget. The 1980s screen heartthrob, who earned a 2009 Oscar nomination for his comeback vehicle The Wrestler, found himself facing eviction from the Spanish bungalow in Los Angeles he has called home for over a decade.
Out of funds, his manager of nine years, Kimberly Hines, and her assistant launched an emergency GoFundMe early Sunday to save Rourke, 73, from the threat of homelessness.
After The Hollywood Reporter covered the fundraising effort and the media caught wind of the story, however, Rourke, ensconced in a West Hollywood hotel until he can relocate to a more permanent apartment in Koreatown, posted an Instagram video disavowing any knowledge of the “humiliating” fundraiser and pledging to return every “nickel” to worried fans.
To clear up all the confusion over the GoFundMe, Hines called THR from Europe to walk us through the events that led to its launch — and offer an update on Rourke’s current status and well-being.
Kimberly, can you clear up the confusion over Mickey’s GoFundMe?
In the last 48 hours, we moved him out of his house; we put him up in [a West Hollywood hotel]. The GoFundMe was done for Mickey. That money’s going to Mickey. It’s not going to me. And if Mickey doesn’t want this money now and decides, “I don’t want help, it’s like it’s charity,” the money will be returned.
He doesn’t even have a key to his house. We had to get movers there, get all his clothing out, organize a new apartment for him, get a storage shed. All of this is being paid for by his management team, which is me.
How was the GoFundMe idea presented to Mickey?
With your help, we were shocked that the GoFundMe took off. We’re like, “Let’s do this little GoFundMe thing. We’ll see what happens. This will help Mickey.” And Dima, his assistant, and I were like, “This is good. It will help Mickey.” We said, “Mickey, there’s some people that want to help you out. ” He’s like, “OK, great.” I don’t think he understood, and now it’s taken on this media frenzy, and he flipped out.
But to be clear, the GoFundMe is legitimate and 100 percent for Mickey?
Yes. And now it looks bad on us. Nobody’s trying to grift Mickey. I want him working. I don’t want him doing a GoFundMe. The good thing about this is that he got four movie offers since yesterday. People are emailing him movie offers now, which is great because nobody’s been calling him for a long time.
Is he at all touched about all the love he’s been getting on GoFundMe?
This thing has taken off like crazy. I looked at it this morning. I’m like, “Oh my God, he’s almost raised $100,000.” The only contact we’ve had with GoFundMe was, how do we get the money to Mickey? He doesn’t have a bank account. We’re just doing everything we can to get it to him.
They were changing the locks at his house on Tuesday. We just wanted to get him out of there. He got to the hotel. We got the dogs out. We got him set up. We got what he needs for the next week. Then we organized movers. Then we got everything, all his clothing packed up. I rented a U-Haul.
No one’s touched this GoFundMe money. This money has been to help Mickey. If Mickey doesn’t want the money, the money will go back. It’s putting me in a very bad position where now I’m financing his move and the hotel and the movers and his storage. Mickey was cool with getting help the other day. And now Mickey’s like, “I’m not taking charity.”
You said that he was set up at an apartment. Is that different from the hotel?
We have him at the hotel right now with his three dogs. And then we have an apartment that we have rented for him in Koreatown. That is where all his clothing went yesterday. He has no furniture there because the state of his house was so bad.
My assistant was there, Eric, with his best friend, Frenchie, and they went over and there was actually even a camera guy who filmed it all. There was black mold. No running water. So basically, we can’t even move any of the furniture out. There was water damage. So he can’t even take most of his belongings with him because all the furniture is completely destroyed. Eric and Frenchie were at his house packing up all of his valuables that could be salvaged, and they were moved to this new apartment.
How long has he lived in the house he was just evicted from?
Mickey’s been there for years. Ever since I’ve managed him, so over 10 years. This new guy, Eric Gold, he bought the property a year and a half ago and raised the rent from $5,200 to $7,000. But the house has absolutely just gone. The refrigerator’s not working, there’s no water. It’s uninhabitable. He can’t live there.
But now this guy basically went to the press. The landlord went to the press saying that he was evicting Mickey.
So what happens now?
To be honest, Mickey doesn’t have a bank account. He doesn’t carry money. He sent me a WhatsApp message: “Kim, I’m forever grateful for all your help. I would never be able to do this all alone. I always love you for this. Thanks, Mick.” So I’m doing what I can. And then he puts up a video that he doesn’t want help. I mean, if he wants to send all the money back, send it back. I don’t care. The money was for Mickey.
He’s calling me for money. He’s calling friends for money. A GoFund is set up for him, and now he’s rejecting it? “OK, Mick, no problem.” But nobody here has done anything wrong. It was done with a good intention, with a good heart. My assistant is 21 years old. Right now, I’m fronting the money for Mickey to get him out of this emergency situation.
You’re going to remain his manager for acting gigs?
Of course. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not quitting, and he’s not firing me. And no, he’s not mad at me. He’s upset about this situation. But yet two days ago, he was packing by himself, and he’s like, “Can you please get me help? I need help. I’m packing by myself.” Mickey’s 73 years old. So of course I called my assistant and he and his friend went over on Sunday and spent the entire day with Mickey packing up his belongings, getting him to the hotel, getting supplies for the dog, getting dog cages for the dog. Cleaning him up, getting him to the hotel. We’ve gone into action mode.
It’s all a very sad situation.
We’re going to figure out how to send the money back [to your fans], Mickey. But figure out also how you’re going to pay your incidentals at the hotel. I called yesterday. They were already at $400. He’s been there a day.
It’s great that so many people care because, honestly, the guy spends Christmas alone. He spends his birthdays alone. Besides his assistant and his manager, he’s got nobody in his life. He should probably take this help, because unless he goes back to work, I can only finance him for so long. I’m not a Getty. I’m a working woman.
What happened to his money?
Mickey’s never been one that manages his money well. He doesn’t really know the word moderation. So he either has a lot or has nothing. He lives check to check. And he’s also been very generous with people. He bought his ex-girlfriend, who had cancer, an apartment. Didn’t buy himself an apartment. He’s given a lot of his money away to people, to friends. He’s loaned people money.
Doesn’t have that upbringing or that education to manage money. So a lot of it was spent. A lot of it really was given away. He has very happy ex-girlfriends. He’s been very generous with people, and he just didn’t manage his money well. And he hasn’t really made that much money in the last couple of years, because he just doesn’t want to compromise.
He doesn’t handle any of his own money. He doesn’t have a bank account. He doesn’t have a credit card. He’s got his accountant who’s desperately trying to keep up with his debts. He had four storage sheds that were costing him over $3,000 a month. So we’re trying to get Mickey to live within his means and also try to live in a world of reality – this is what you get every month from your social security. This is what you get when you make a movie. And just to try to have a reality check.
Have you heard from him since the GoFundMe launched?
Yesterday we spoke a couple of times. “Everyone’s calling me from all over the world and also asking me if I need money. I don’t know what to do.” And I was like, “It’s OK. Let them help.”
What about this thing he’s saying in the video, where he’s like, “I have no idea who started this?”
That’s not true. But I understand that he has to say that. We’re all here to help Mickey and get him back on his feet, get him back to work, get him back making movies and telling stories and creating characters and being the Mickey Rourke that we all have known and love. That’s my goal. If Mickey doesn’t want this help from people that want to support him and his fans, then that money will be returned.
