Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke is reportedly on the brink of being evicted from his Los Angeles home after allegedly failing to pay close to $60,000 in rent, according to new court documents.
Legal Action and Mounting Debt
Documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by the Daily Mail reveal that the 73-year-old actor, whose real name is Philip Rourke Jr., was served with a three-day notice on December 18. The notice demanded he either pay the overdue amount or vacate the property. The complaint, filed by landlord Eric T. Goldie, states that Rourke owed $59,100 at the time the notice was issued.
Rourke had only moved into the three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home on March 30, signing a lease with a monthly rent of $5,200. However, the lawsuit indicates the rent was increased to $7,000 per month beginning with his second month of occupancy. As Rourke was not home when the notice was delivered on December 18, it was posted outside the historic property.
A Home Steeped in Hollywood History
The potential eviction marks another difficult chapter for the Angel Heart star, coming months after he was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother house. The rented home itself is notable, located in the Beverly Grove neighbourhood just south of West Hollywood. Built in 1926, the property was once occupied in the 1940s by famed crime novelist Raymond Chandler, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In his complaint, landlord Eric T. Goldie is not only seeking the unpaid rent but also aims to terminate the lease and have Rourke cover his attorney fees. This legal action would prevent Rourke from continuing to live at the address even if he subsequently paid the outstanding sum.
A Career of Highs and Lows
This property dispute follows a year of controversy for Rourke. In April, his stint on Celebrity Big Brother ended abruptly after he was accused of directing homophobic comments and "unacceptable language and behaviour" towards fellow housemate, 22-year-old JoJo Siwa. His comments, which included saying he would "vote the lesbian out real quick" and making a derogatory remark using British slang, sparked widespread criticism and led to his ejection from the show.
Rourke's career has been a rollercoaster. He was a major Hollywood leading man in the 1980s, starring in hits like 9 1/2 Weeks and Angel Heart. He then left acting in the early 1990s to pursue boxing, a move that resulted in serious facial injuries requiring reconstructive surgery, which altered his appearance dramatically.
He made a celebrated comeback in 2008 with The Wrestler, earning a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination. This led to a high-profile role as the villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2 (2010). However, much of his work since has been in lower-budget films that have garnered little attention.
The Daily Mail reported that it reached out to representatives for both Mickey Rourke and the landlord's attorney but had not received a response at the time of publication.
