A crowdfunding page has been set up for actor and former boxer Mickey Rourke who organisers say is facing eviction over unpaid rent on his Los Angeles home.
The actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 2008 drama The Wrestler, approved a fundraiser launched by a friend and member of his management team.
It is alleged he owes around $US60,000 ($89,000) in rent after being sued by his landlord.
The Los Angeles Times reports he was served a three-day notice by his landlord over his unpaid rent on December 18.
Organiser Liya-Joelle Jones said the fundraiser was created to “help cover immediate housing-related expenses and prevent that [eviction] from happening”.
“Mickey Rourke is an icon — but his trajectory, as painful as it is, is also a deeply human one,” she wrote.
“It is the story of someone who gave everything to his work, took real risks, and paid real costs.
“Fame does not protect against hardship, and talent does not guarantee stability. What remains is a person who deserves dignity, housing, and the chance to regain his footing. “
Rourke is best known for his roles in The Wrestler, 9 and a half weeks and Barfly.
‘Inappropriate comments’
Rourke made headlines last year when he was removed from Celebrity Big Brother UK, accused of making homophobic comments aimed at a fellow contestant on the show, Jojo Siwa, as well as “further inappropriate behaviour”.
Thorne accuses Rourke of ‘gross’ behaviour
The 72-year-old used the British slang word for cigarette when he said he needed “a fag”, before directing himself at Siwa and saying: “I’m not talking to you”.
He also told her he would “make her straight”.
The show warned him his “language was offensive and unacceptable” and “further behaviour of this nature could lead to you being removed” from the show.
Rourke apologised to Siwa, saying he did not “have dishonourable intentions”.
He was later removed from the show over further instances, ITV said.
Actress Bella Thorne also accused Rourke of on-set misconduct in April of last year.
In response to the news of his comments to Siwa, Thorne posted a story to her Instagram account, sharing her “all-time worst” experience working with Rourke on the horror film Girl in 2020.
She accused Rourke of bruising her genitals with a metal grinder on the movie set.
He denied all allegations.
Shortly after his exit from Big Brother, People magazine reported that he planned to pursue legal action against Celebrity Big Brother UK over an alleged pay dispute.
The fundraiser has almost reached its goal of $US100,000.
“All funds withdrawn from this campaign will be applied directly toward Mickey’s immediate needs and expenses, with full transparency and care, and strictly on his behalf,” the fundraiser page said.