Mickey Rourke emerges with bizarre red hair after being legally kicked out of LA home over unpaid rent
The 73-year-old Oscar-nominated actor debuted an unusual shaggy auburn hairstyle while visiting Mulberry Street Pizzeria. His public outing came shortly after a court ruled in favor of his former landlord, terminating the lease on a house he had rented for much of the past year.
Rourke — whose film career includes titles such as Diner, Sin City and 9½ Weeks — was dressed casually in a purple Western-style shirt paired with blue jeans. He was seen chatting with a friend and posing for photos with fans during the sunny afternoon in Southern California. He completed the look with dark sunglasses, a wide leather belt and grey boots.
Earlier in the week, Rourke’s representatives released a statement explaining that he had stopped paying rent because the home’s living conditions had become “unacceptable.” According to the actor, several serious problems in the property were repeatedly left unresolved despite his attempts to have them fixed.
Rourke claimed the house suffered from persistent rodent issues that required multiple service visits but were never fully addressed. He also said the bathroom and plumbing frequently malfunctioned and that repeated repair requests were ignored. Because of these ongoing maintenance problems, he said he eventually decided to withhold rent after numerous attempts to resolve the situation.
The legal dispute culminated on Monday when a Los Angeles court issued a default judgment in favor of landlord Eric T. Goldie in the eviction case. According to court documents from the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Goldie alleged that Rourke owed $59,100 in unpaid rent for the property located near Drexel Avenue.
Because Rourke did not respond to the eviction notice within the time frame required by California law, the court ruled by default, granting the landlord immediate possession of the property and terminating the remaining lease.
The situation unfolded about a month after fans attempted to help the actor by donating nearly $100,000 to a GoFundMe campaign set up by an assistant connected to his management team. However, Rourke rejected the donations, calling the fundraiser a “cruel embarrassment.”
The court’s decision focused solely on possession of the home rather than financial claims related to the lease agreement. Records show that Rourke — whose full name is Philip Rourke Jr. — had been living in the three-bedroom Southern California property since March 30, 2025, when he signed a lease agreeing to pay $5,200 in monthly rent.
The landlord first served the actor with a three-day notice to pay or vacate the property on December 18. When the issue remained unresolved, Goldie filed a legal complaint later that month, also requesting that the court order Rourke to cover legal fees and cancel the rest of the rental contract.
Rourke later distanced himself from the fundraising effort, explaining that a business associate had created the GoFundMe campaign without his knowledge. He told photographers during an outing in January that he...
