Mickey Rourke, the Celebrity Big Brother star and ITV personality, announced the death of his beloved dog Ivan on Instagram, prompting an outpouring of support from fans. The 73-year-old actor shared a photo of himself cuddling his pet, writing: "Ivan wants to say hello and goodbye to all his friends. He passed away today. We had a wonderful 12 years together day and night. He’s crossing the rainbow bridge, I’ll see him again on the other side. Farewell my love."
Ivan's Health Struggles and Financial Strain
The news comes after Mickey revealed that Ivan needed heart surgery costing around $10,000, with a potential second surgery of up to $8,000. According to TMZ, Mickey was reportedly in "dire financial straits" after being evicted and moving into a hotel. A GoFundMe campaign raised over $100,000 for the star, but he rejected the help and the money was refunded to donors.
Fans Rally Around the Star
Fans quickly flooded Mickey's Instagram post with condolences. One wrote: "Everybody loves Mickey Rourke, even more cause you love animals so much." Another said: "I am sorry for your loss, my condolences. All dogs go to heaven." Just five weeks earlier, Mickey had shared hopeful news about Ivan's condition, stating: "What a great miracle. Ivan has improved. So greatly, about 93%, so grateful. I don’t think without all the prayers he got he would be here today."
Representative's Previous Comments
Earlier this year, Mickey's representative Kimberly Hines said: "I'm very resilient and committed to seeing Mickey make the right choices for his career and for his personal well-being. That said, we are at a moment of truth, and ultimately only Mickey can decide how he wants to play out his next chapter."
