Actor Mickey Rourke faces possible eviction from his Los Angeles rental after allegedly falling nearly $60,000 behind on rent, according to a lawsuit representing his latest legal and professional setback.
Court records filed in Los Angeles Superior Court show that Rourke, 73, was served with a three-day notice to pay rent or vacate the property on Dec. 18. At the time the notice was issued, Rourke allegedly owed $59,100 in unpaid rent.
The complaint states that the notice was posted outside the home and mailed after attempts at personal service failed because “no person of suitable age or discretion” could be located at the residence.
The Daily Mail reported that it reached out to representatives for Rourke and the attorney for the property’s owner, Eric Goldie, but had not received responses from either side.
According to the lawsuit, Rourke signed a lease for the three-bedroom, 2.5-bath home on March 30, agreeing to pay $5,200 per month in rent.
Court filings indicate that beginning in his second month of occupancy, the rent was raised to $7,000 per month.
In addition to the alleged back rent, Goldie is seeking attorney’s fees and an order terminating the lease, a move that would prevent Rourke from remaining in the home even if the balance were paid.
The property itself carries a notable piece of Los Angeles history. Built in 1926, the Spanish-style bungalow was occupied in the 1940s by influential crime novelist Raymond Chandler, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
The home is located in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, just south of West Hollywood and within walking distance of the Grove shopping center and the adjacent Farmers Market. A listing on Zillow describes the residence as a “nicely upgraded Spanish bungalow.”
The eviction dispute follows a turbulent year for Rourke, whose public life has again been marked by controversy. Earlier this year, he was removed from Celebrity Big Brother UK after producers warned him over what they described as “unacceptable language and behavior.”
The incident involved remarks directed at fellow housemate JoJo Siwa, then 22, about her sexuality. In one episode, Rourke made comments that drew immediate backlash from viewers and prompted the show’s intervention.
Fans criticized the actor on social media, labeling his remarks homophobic and accusing him of bullying behavior. The controversy ultimately led to his early exit from the show.
Following his departure, Rourke’s manager said the actor planned to pursue legal action over a pay dispute, claiming he had been “publicly embarrassed” and not properly compensated, according to reporting by People.
The legal and reality-television troubles stand in sharp contrast to Rourke’s once-glittering Hollywood ascent. He emerged as a major star in the early 1980s with roles in Diner (1982), Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish (1983), 9½ Weeks (1986), and Angel Heart (1987), establishing himself as one of the era’s most intense and unconventional leading men.
By the early 1990s, however, Rourke stepped away from acting after a series of underperforming films and returned to a childhood passion: boxing.
The physically punishing sport left him with severe injuries that required reconstructive surgery and permanently altered his appearance, effectively ending his status as a romantic lead.
Reflecting on that period in a 2008 interview, Rourke was blunt about the consequences. “I lost everything. My house, my wife, my credibility, my career,” he said. “Unfortunately, the way I acted really frightened people, although it was really just me who was scared.”
Rourke continued working sporadically in smaller roles after giving up boxing in 1994, but his most significant comeback came in 2008 with The Wrestler, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Playing a washed-up professional wrestler clinging to the remnants of his career and family, Rourke earned widespread critical acclaim. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and Rourke received a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award nomination for best actor.
After his success in The Wrestler, Rourke went on to play the villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2. However, in the years that followed, many of his subsequent projects were low-budget films that drew limited attention. Now, with an eviction case pending and recent controversies still fresh, Rourke’s off-screen struggles once again threaten to overshadow the celebrated chapters of his career.
For now, court records indicate the landlord is seeking to regain possession of the Beverly Grove property, while Rourke’s next steps — legally and professionally — remain uncertain.
