Mickey Rourke (20 page)

H
IGH DRAMA LIKE THIS WAS NOTHING NEW TO
C
ARRÉ WHO CAME FROM A DAMAGED BACKGROUND – SHE HAS SAID BOTH OF HER PARENTS HAD DRINKING PROBLEMS, HER FIRST BOYFRIEND WAS DRUG-ADDLED, AND SHE STARTED USING BOOZE AND DRUGS AT AN EARLY AGE, WHILE ALSO BATTLING ANOREXIA AND SELF-ESTEEM PROBLEMS.
C
ARRÉ LEFT HOME AT FIFTEEN AND MOVED TO
N
EW
Y
ORK TO MODEL WHERE HER EXTREME DIETING AND DRUG USE WOULD GRADUALLY DO HER SO MUCH DAMAGE THAT SHE ENDED UP NEEDING HEART SURGERY BY THE TIME SHE WAS THIRTY.

C
ARRÉ HAS OPENLY ADMITTED BEING A LONGTIME HEROIN ADDICT, AND
M
ICKEY SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME ATTEMPTING TO GET HER OFF THE DRUG.
T
HOSE WIDELY REPORTED ATTEMPTS RANGED FROM BOOKING HER INTO A SPECIAL CLINIC TO BEATING UP THE DRUG PUSHERS WHO WERE FEEDING HIS WIFE’S HABIT.
W
HEN LAYING INTO ONE OF THEM, HE APPARENTLY HIT THE GUY SO HARD THAT HIS ATTACK SENT A STREAM OF BLOOD GUSHING HIGH INTO THE AIR.

B
UT IT WAS FOR ALLEGEDLY HITTING
C
ARRÉ THAT HE FOUND HIMSELF CARTED OFF BY POLICE ON 18
J
ULY 1994.
M
ICKEY WAS ARRESTED FOR “MISDEMEANOR SPOUSAL BATTERY,” AND WAS ACCUSED OF KICKING, SLAPPING, AND KNOCKING DOWN HIS WIFE DURING A CHANCE ENCOUNTER AT THE
L
OS
A
NGELES OFFICE OF THEIR PUBLICIST.
H
E PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE CHARGE, WHICH CARRIED A MAXIMUM ONE-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE.

M
ICKEY’S MUG SHOT WAS PICKED UP BY MEDIA OUTLETS AROUND THE WORLD.
T
HE ACTOR WAS ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL BUT THE CHARGE WAS EVENTUALLY DISMISSED IN
D
ECEMBER AFTER
O
TIS FAILED TO SHOW UP FOR TWO COURT APPEARANCES WHEN SHE WAS DUE TO TESTIFY. “
W
E HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS TO CONTACT HER THROUGH HER ATTORNEY AND WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE HER,” SAID
M
IKE
Q
UALLS, SPOKESMAN FOR THE
L
OS
A
NGELES
C
ITY
A
TTORNEY’S
O
FFICE.
S
HE AND
M
ICKEY HAD SEPARATED AFTER THE INCIDENT AND HE WAS BANNED FROM HER FASHION SHOWS FOR A WHILE.
I
T LOOKED ALL OVER FOR THE COUPLE.
B
UT ON
V
ALENTINE’S
D
AY 1995, THEY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE REUNITED AND
C
ARRÉ MOVED BACK IN WITH
M
ICKEY.

T
HEY TRIED TO REDISCOVER THE MAGIC AND ROMANCE, AND EVEN MADE A SECOND FILM TOGETHER, THE POORLY RECEIVED AND LITTLE SEEN 1996 “THRILLER”
EXIT IN RED
.
B
UT THE NEW BEGINNING DIDN’T WORK OUT AND, AFTER THE DRAMAS AND DISAPPOINTMENT ALL BECAME TOO MUCH,
C
ARRÉ LEFT
M
ICKEY FOR GOOD.

M
ICKEY FOUND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO COPE WITHOUT THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.
H
E FELT SUICIDAL AND WAS AT ONE POINT HELD FOR OBSERVATION FOR TWENTY-NINE HOURS AT AN
LA
HOSPITAL.
T
HERE WAS ALSO THE INCIDENT IN THE CHURCH WHEN THE PARISH PRIEST TALKED HIM OUT OF HIS PLAN TO SHOOT
C
ARRÉ’S VIOLENT DRUG PUSHER THEN TURN THE GUN ON HIMSELF.

M
ICKEY TRIED TO CHANGE HIS WAYS SO
C
ARRÉ WOULD COME BACK TO HIM, AND STARTED THERAPY AS PART OF THE PLAN TO BECOME A BETTER person. In total, he waited nearly ten years for his beloved Carré to come back to him – but she never did. She moved on. They continued to speak from time to time but it just wasn’t the same between them.

C
ARRÉ HAPPILY CONQUERED HER DRUG PROBLEM AND BECAME A GREAT DEAL HEALTHIER, NOT ONLY WITH TWELVE-STEP-STYLE RECOVERY METHODS, RUNNING, AND YOGA, BUT ALSO BY BECOMING INTERESTED IN
B
UDDHISM, GOING ON RETREATS, DOING VOLUNTARY WORK DELIVERING MEDICAL SUPPLIES IN
N
EPAL, AND GENERALLY HAVING A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING THAT HELPED HER KICK THE DRUG HABIT.
S
HE PUT ON A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT, BUT THEN RE-INVENTED HERSELF AS A PLUS-SIZE MODEL.
C
ARRÉ THEN TRIED TO INSPIRE OTHERS BY SHARING HER RECOVERY STORY ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, LECTURING ABOUT ADDICTION, SPOUSAL ABUSE, AND BODY IMAGE.
C
ARRÉ
O
TIS IS NOW AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT, HAPPILY LIVING THE QUIET LIFE IN
M
ILL
V
ALLEY,
C
ALIFORNIA, WITH A NEW FAMILY.
S
HE HAS A SECOND HUSBAND NOW,
M
ATTHEW, AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST WHOM SHE MARRIED IN
D
ECEMBER 2005, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER MEETING HIM WHILE OUT HIKING.
T
HE COUPLE HAVE A DAUGHTER,
J
ADE, BORN ON 11
N
OVEMBER 2006.
T
HE BABY WAS A WONDERFUL SURPRISE AS
C
ARRÉ HADN’T HAD A PERIOD IN SIX YEARS AND HAD BEEN TOLD SHE WOULD NEVER GET PREGNANT.

A
S FOR
M
ICKEY, FOR A LONG TIME NO WOMAN CAME ALONG TO REPLACE THE GAPING HOLE
C
ARRÉ LEFT IN HIS LIFE.
I
N THE YEARS AFTER SHE LEFT HIM, HE NEVER HAD DINNER TWICE IN A WEEK WITH THE SAME GIRL.
W
ITH NO STEADY GIRLFRIEND AROUND, HE WOULD SHARE HIS FEELINGS WITH NO ONE BUT HIS THERAPIST AND HIS PRIEST AND SHARED HIS BED MOST NIGHTS WITH HIS PET DOGS.

B
UT HE HARDLY LIVED LIKE A MONK.
M
ICKEY HAD A STRING OF ONENIGHT STANDS BOTH AT HOME AND ON HIS TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD.
O
VER THE YEARS, HE HAS TAKEN A PROCESSION OF WOMEN BACK TO HIS ROOM AT
B
LAKES
H
OTEL, WHERE HE STAYS WHENEVER HE IS IN
L
ONDON, OR TO HIS HOMES IN
A
MERICA.
H
E CLAIMS TO HAVE HAD A SEX MARATHON DURING ONE OF HIS TRIPS TO THE
UK
– BOASTING OF BEDDING 14 WOMEN IN ONE NIGHT.

M
ICKEY WAS IN FINE FLIRTY FORM WHILE TRAVELING THE WORLD PROMOTING
THE WRESTLER
.
A
PPEARING ON
BBC
TV
’S
THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW
IN
O
CTOBER 2008, HE KEPT MAKING CHEEKY ADVANCES, ON AIR, TO FELLOW GUEST
J
ESSICA
B
IEL AND ASKED IF SHE WAS MARRIED – SEEMINGLY NOT REALIZING HER BOYFRIEND WAS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING HEARTTHROBS,
J
USTIN
T
IMBERLAKE.

A
T A
D
ECEMBER 2008 PUBLIC
Q
&
A
IN
S
ANTA
M
ONICA,
C
ALIFORNIA, DURING A FESTIVAL OF
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE FILMS, HE RESPONDED TO A QUESTION FROM A PRETTY GIRL IN THE AUDIENCE BY SAYING, “
L
OOK AT YOU, YOU’RE NOT UGLY.
Y
OU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS
I
LIKE BETTER THAN MAKING MOVIES….”

I
N LATE
J
ANUARY 2009,
M
ICKEY HOOKED UP WITH
C
HINESE-
A
MERICAN ACTRESS
B
AI
L
ING.

H
E WAS AT
H
OLLYWOOD CELEBRITY HOTSPOT THE
C
HATEAU
M
ARMONT
H
OTEL WITH
S
EAN
P
ENN WHEN HE WAS APPROACHED BY THE SKINNY BEAUTY.
T
HEY HAD BRIEFLY MET BEFORE WHEN SHE ATTENDED
THE WRESTLER
LA
PREMIERE AFTER-PARTY A MONTH EARLIER.
S
OON, THEY WERE ALL OVER EACH OTHER AND A BRIEF ROMANCE BLOSSOMED IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS.
O
NE THING THEY BONDED OVER WAS THEIR LOVE OF ANIMALS.
M
ICKEY LOVES HIS DOGS, WHILE
B
AI DOTES ON HER CAT
Q
IJI.

B
UT THAT RELATIONSHIP, LIKE SO MANY OF HIS OTHERS, RAN AGROUND JUST A FEW DAYS LATER.

T
HE NEXT FAMOUS FACE HE WAS ROMANTICALLY LINKED WITH WAS
C
OURTNEY
L
OVE, AFTER THEY BOTH WON PRIZES AT THE
ELLE
S
TYLE
A
WARDS IN
L
ONDON IN
F
EBRUARY 2009.
B
UT
M
ICKEY WAS QUICK TO SHOOT DOWN REPORTS OF A ROMANCE WITH
K
URT
C
OBAIN’S WIDOW, SAYING, RATHER HARSHLY, “
I
’D RATHER BE ON A DESERTED ISLAND WITH A GORILLA!”
A
T THE SAME
L
ONDON EVENT,
M
ICKEY HAD ADMIRED MARRIED
B
RITISH ACTRESS
T
HANDI
N
EWTON AND TOLD HER, “
Y
OU’RE FIT.”

D
AYS EARLIER AT THE
B
RITISH
A
CADEMY
F
ILM
A
WARDS AFTER-PARTY,
M
ICKEY RENEWED HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH SEXY BLONDE
A
BI
T
ITMUSS, WHOM HE HAD MET TWO YEARS EARLIER AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL.
T
HE THIRTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD – FAMOUS IN HER NATIVE
UK
FOR A TAPED SEX AND DRUGS SCANDAL – WAS AMONG THE GUESTS AT THE
G
ROSVENOR
H
OUSE
H
OTEL BASH AND LATER CLAIMED TO THE
B
RITISH PRESS THAT
M
ICKEY HAD PROPOSITIONED HER AT THE EVENT BUT SHE HAD REFUSED TO SLEEP WITH HIM.

M
EANWHILE, BACK IN
H
OLLYWOOD, ALSO DISTANCING HERSELF FROM
M
ICKEY WAS THE YOUNG ACTRESS WHO PLAYS HIS DAUGHTER IN
THE WRESTLER
,
E
VAN
R
ACHEL
W
OOD.
T
HE TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD SPOKE OUT FIRMLY TO DISPEL GROWING RUMORS THAT SHE WAS DATING
M
ICKEY, SAYING, “
I
’M NOT ATTRACTED TO HIM.
H
E’S TOO OLD FOR ME.
N
OTHING EVER HAPPENED AND NOTHING EVER WILL.”

B
UT RUMORS ABOUT
M
ICKEY’S LOVE LIFE WERE CONSTANTLY FUELED BY POTENTIAL LIAISONS WITH A VARIETY OF HIGH-PROFILE WOMEN.
O
N HIS RETURN TO THE
S
TATES,
M
ICKEY HUNG OUT WITH
P
ARIS
H
ILTON AT HER TWENTY-EIGHTH BIRTHDAY PARTY, BUT THE NIGHT AFTER THAT HE WAS ARM IN ARM AND OUT ON THE TOWN IN
N
EW
Y
ORK WITH
G
ERMAN MODEL
M
ANON VON
G
ERKAN, THE FORMER GIRLFRIEND OF ILLUSIONIST
D
AVID
B
LAINE.
T
HEN, WHEN HE WENT TO
M
OSCOW IN
M
ARCH 2009 TO RESEARCH HIS ROLE AS A
R
USSIAN VILLAIN IN
IRON MAN 2
,
M
ICKEY WAS IN THE GLAMOROUS COMPANY OF
R
USSIAN BOXER-TURNED-POP STAR
I
RSON
K
UDIKOVA.
O
N HIS RETURN TO THE
S
TATES, HE WAS PASSIONATELY MAKING OUT WITH TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD
V
ICTORIA’S
S
ECRET MODEL,
E
UGENIE
V
OLDONA, IN THE MIDDLE OF A
N
EW
Y
ORK NIGHTCLUB.
M
ORE THAN A DECADE AFTER HIS DIVORCE FROM
C
ARRÉ
O
TIS, HE CLEARLY HADN’T LOST HIS LUST FOR MODELS.

M
ICKEY HAS ALWAYS HAD AN EYE FOR THE LADIES AND KNOWS WHAT HE IS LOOKING FOR.
A
SKED ABOUT HIS TASTE IN WOMEN, HE ONCE SAID, “
I
T’S LIKE WHAT
I
LOOK FOR IN A HORSE…
I
DON’T WANT A THICK NECK AND SHORT LEGS.”

R
ANDY
R
OURKE BOASTED A YEAR AGO THAT WAS GETTING LAID MORE OFTEN THAN HE DID IN HIS LATE-1980S HEYDAY.
A
ND THAT IS DESPITE, OR PERHAPS BECAUSE OF, HIS FAVORITE PICK-UP LINE, WHICH APPARENTLY WORKS SURPRISINGLY WELL.
H
AVING SPOTTED A GIRL HE LIKES THE LOOK OF,
M
ICKEY HAS BEEN KNOWN TO SAY, “
I
CAN TAKE YOU HOME AND FUCK YOU UNTIL YOU GO CRAZY.”

B
UT JUST WHEN IT SEEMED HE WAS SETTLING HAPPILY FOR LIFE AS A SWINGING BACHELOR,
M
ICKEY FELL FOR
N
EW
Y
ORK–BASED
R
USSIAN MODEL
A
NASTASSIJA
M
AKARENKO, TWENTY-FOUR, WHO HAS BECOME HIS STEADY GIRLFRIEND AND TURNED HIM INTO A ONE-WOMAN MAN.

T
HE COUPLE MET ON A PHOTO SHOOT IN THE SUMMER OF 2009 AND THE SWIFTLY SMITTEN FILM STAR CALLED HER “A GIFT FROM HEAVEN” AND SAID HE WOULDN’T TRADE HER IN FOR TWENTY
A
CADEMY
A
WARDS.
R
OURKE HAS MET HER PARENTS, WHOM SHE’S REALLY CLOSE TO, AND THEY GOT ALONG WELL.
T
HE PARENTS GAVE THE ROMANCE THEIR BLESSING.
A
NASTASSIJA, WHOM HE CALLS “
A
NNA,” SHARES
R
OURKE’S LOVE OF DOGS AND THEY GOT A
P
OMERANIAN TOGETHER WHOM THEY NAMED
T
ANGO.

S
HE HELPED HIM WITH THE
R
USSIAN ACCENT HE USED IN
IRON MAN 2
.
M
ICKEY WORKED FOR THREE MONTHS ON IT WITH A DIALECT COACH AND SEEMED TO BE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS, BUT WHEN HE TRIED IT OUT AT HOME ON HIS GIRLFRIEND, SHE WOULD LAUGH AT HIS EFFORTS.
W
HEN THE LAUGHTER TURNED TO PRAISE, HE KNEW HE’D FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT.