Hollywood star Mickey Rourke has launched a furious tirade and vowed severe revenge against the individuals behind an unauthorised crowdfunding appeal set up in his name, which he has branded a cruel and embarrassing scam.
A 'Vicious Lie' and a Vow of Revenge
The Oscar-nominated actor, famed for roles in 1980s classics and his comeback in The Wrestler, took to Instagram last week to express his intense displeasure. In a series of posts, Rourke condemned the fundraiser as a "vicious cruel goddamn lie to hustle money using my fuckin name." He emphasised his profound embarrassment and issued a stark warning: "There will b severe repercussions to individual who did this very bad thing to me and anyone who knows me knows payback will be goddamm severe!!!!!!"
This public outburst follows his initial statements earlier in January, where he first distanced himself from the campaign. At the time, Rourke stated he would "rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger" than accept charity, firmly declaring, "I wouldn't take a nickel of charity."
The Details of the Unauthorised Fundraiser
The controversial GoFundMe page was launched on 4 January, with the stated aim of raising $60,000 to help the actor cover overdue rent and avoid eviction from his Los Angeles home. It was widely believed that Rourke's own management team was behind the initiative.
The appeal gained significant traction, pulling in over $100,000 in donations before it was frozen just a week after its launch. The situation has caused Rourke significant personal distress, with the actor reporting that longtime friends contacted him to offer accommodation and financial aid, leaving him "sooo upset & enbarassed."
Legal Efforts and Reimbursement Struggles
In his recent social media posts, Rourke reiterated that the fundraiser was a "SCAM … WHICH WAS AS IVE STATED A CRUEL ENBARRASMENT." He revealed that his lawyer is actively working to reimburse all the donors who contributed money in good faith.
However, the reimbursement process has proven challenging. According to Rourke, his legal representative has so far only managed to return 10% of the total funds raised by the frozen campaign. The actor's team continues to work on refunding the remaining money to those caught up in the deceptive appeal.
The incident highlights the vulnerabilities of public figures to financial scams exploiting their name and reputation, causing not just potential monetary loss but deep personal humiliation.
