Veteran actor Mickey Rourke has released a statement following his eviction from a rental property. The Hollywood star addressed the situation after a judge ruled in favor of his landlord, offering his side of the situation and justifying not paying rent.
Mickey Rourke Shared His Reasons For Not Paying Rent
On March 11, Rourke released a statement that addressed his eviction from his LA rental, explaining his reasons for withholding the rent he owed his landlord.
According to the actor, per TMZ, the home, located on Drexel Avenue in Los Angeles, was in a state of disrepair and not fit to live in. He claimed he attempted to have the issues fixed multiple times, but the problems remained.
“There were ongoing rodent issues that required multiple visits but were never fully resolved, and the bathroom and plumbing frequently did not work,” Rourke claimed, adding that “basic maintenance” wasn’t done in the home.
A Judge Ruled In His Landlord’s Favor
In December 2025, Rourke’s landlord, Eric T. Goldie, filed an eviction complaint against the actor for failing to pay $59,100 in back rent.
As previously reported by The Blast, a California judge ruled in favor of Rourke’s landlord, Eric T. Goldie, on March 9. It was a default judgment, which likely means Rourke didn’t appear in court to defend himself or respond to the case in a timely manner.
The judge terminated Rourke’s rental agreement, and Goldie was granted possession of the property. In accordance with the ruling, Rourke no longer had a right to stay on the property. However, the order was only for possession of the home and did not include financial damages.
The Actor Moved Out Of His Rental Before The Ruling
After Goldie’s court filing in December, Rourke was given the option to pay the rent he owed or vacate the premises within three days.
In January, a U-Haul truck was spotted outside his home as he was getting ready to move out. According to reports, Rourke, along with his dog, have since been living in a West Hollywood Hotel while looking for a new residence.
As the 73-year-old actor said in his statement, “Withholding rent was not a decision I made lightly. I simply could not continue paying for an apartment that was in such poor condition after so many attempts to have these issues corrected.”
As of writing, Goldie has not responded to Rourke’s claims about the “poor condition” of the property.
Mickey Rourke Rejected GoFundMe Money
In January, a GoFundMe was launched with a goal of $100,000 for Rourke. The page, which has since been taken down, noted it was for the actor’s “urgent situation: the threat of eviction from his home.”
As noted by NBC News, it was created by Liya-Joelle Jones, who is the assistant of Kimberly Hines, Rourke’s manager. The blurb noted that they had the actor’s “full permission” for the fundraiser.
However, Rourke denied the claim on Instagram, saying he was confused about the GoFundMe. “I’d rather, if I needed money, I wouldn’t ask for no f-cking charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my a-s and pull the trigger,” he exclaimed.
Rourke added that he wouldn’t use “outside sources” and said the GoFundMe campaign was embarrassing and something he wouldn’t do. He then urged his followers not to donate.
Mickey Rourke’s Manager Clarifies GoFundMe Issue
In January, Hines did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to clarify Rourke’s reaction to the GoFundMe account.
As she told the outlet, they presented the idea to the actor, saying some people wanted to help him, to which he responded, “OK, great.” However, Hines believes Rourke misunderstood how he would be helped. “I don’t think he understood, and now it’s taken on this media frenzy, and he flipped out,” Hines said.
Hines also offered her insight into the rental property, saying that it was “uninhabitable.” Rourke had been living there for more than a decade, and Goldie had only bought the property less than two years ago. Rourke’s manager also said the landlord raised the rent to $7,000 from $5,200.
As for why Rourke is financially strained, Hines explained that the actor doesn’t live in moderation. “He either has a lot or has nothing,” she said, adding that Rourke was a generous person who has “given a lot of his money away to people, to friends.”