Weeks after he denounced the GoFundMe to help him pay rent, Mickey Rourke accused an employee of scamming fans through the fundraising effort.
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While speaking to TMZ over the weekend, the Iron Man 2 star stated he wanted nothing to do with the six-figure sum raised through the GoFundMe campaign.
“It was all a scam,” he declared. “That whole thing about the money was something that somebody who worked for me did to try and keep money for herself.”
Rourke further stated he “would never ask strangers or fans for godd— charity. Like I said, I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger than ask anybody for a dollar.”
The fundraiser was seeking $100,000 to help the actor pay nearly $60,000 in back rent and get back on his feet. However, when the GoFundMe news made headlines, Rourke took to Instagram and called the fundraising efforts “humiliating” for him.
“Something’s come up that I’m really frustrated, confused, and I don’t understand,” he said. “Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money. A charity. And that’s not me. If I needed money I wouldn’t ask for no charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger.”
He also declared, “Whoever did this, I don’t know why they did it. I wouldn’t know what a GoFundMe is in a million years.”
The actor then stated that the donation refunds would be issued on Jan. 14. All donors would receive 100% of their contributions.
Mickey Rourke’s Manager Spoke out About the GoFundMe Fundraiser
Meanwhile, Mickey Rourke’s manager denied that the GoFundMe was a scam. “This is simply not true. The money was meant for Mickey and since he refuses to accept help funds have been sent back to his fans [and] supporters.
She further pointed out, “I’m busy negotiating 3 contracts for him and in constant communication with him. So obviously, nothing has changed except him impulsively saying things that are not factual.”
Liya-Joelle Jones, Hines’s assistant, previously stated that she launched the fundraiser “with Mickey’s permission.”
Hines confirmed that the GoFundMe plan was brought to Rourke. “With your help, we were shocked that the GoFundMe took off,” she said. “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.’”
She further pointed out, “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.”