Mickey Rourke (19 page)

T
HE NEWLYWEDS BOUGHT A HOUSE IN THE
H
OLLYWOOD
H
ILLS AND SETTLED DOWN TO MARRIED LIFE.
N
EITHER OF THEM WANTED CHILDREN AT THAT STAGE –
M
ICKEY’S OWN TURBULENT CHILDHOOD HAD COMPLETELY PUT HIM OFF THE IDEA OF FATHERHOOD – AND THEY SEEMED PERFECTLY HAPPY WITH EACH OTHER, AT LEAST AT FIRST.
B
UT IT SOON BECAME CLEAR THEY DIDN’T HAVE MUCH IN COMMON.
S
HE LIKED TO GO OUT EARLY AND BE IN BED BEFORE IT GOT TOO LATE.
B
UT
M
ICKEY WAS A NIGHT OWL WHO DIDN’T EVER LIKE TO GO OUT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

W
HEN
DINER
CAME OUT, BECAME RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL, AND BROUGHT HIM A HEAD-TURNING FIRST TASTE OF FAME, THEIR RELATIONSHIP QUICKLY SOURED.
T
HEY HAD FIGHTS –MOSTLY OVER ALL THE TIME
M
ICKEY WAS SPENDING OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS RATHER THAN STAYING HOME WITH HIS WIFE.
W
HEN SHE CALLED HIM UP AT THE
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS OFFICE WHERE HE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME HANGING OUT WITH HIS PALS,
M
ICKEY WOULD TELL THEM, “
I
T’S MY OLD LADY,” A NICKNAME WHICH INFURIATED AND HUMILIATED
D
EBRA.
S
HE WOULD ALSO COMPLAIN ABOUT HIS EXTRAVAGANCE: AS SOON AS HE GOT A LOT OF CASH TOGETHER,
M
ICKEY SPLASHED OUT ON EXPENSIVE CARS AND HIS FIRST
H
ARLEY
D
AVIDSON MOTORBIKE.

A
S THE NEXT FEW YEARS WENT BY AND
M
ICKEY BECAME MORE AND MORE SUCCESSFUL,
D
EBRA WATCHED HER HUSBAND CHANGE INTO A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE STAR.
T
HERE WAS ALWAYS SOME DRAMA GOING ON IN HIS CAREER, SUCH AS HIS CLASHES WITH AUTHORITY FIGURES, WHICH
D
EBRA ATTRIBUTED IN LATER INTERVIEWS TO HIS RAGE AT HIS STEPFATHER.
B
UT THERE WAS DRAMA AT HOME, TOO.

M
ICKEY WAS A JEALOUS AND CONTROLLING HUSBAND.
H
E DIDN’T WANT HER TO WORK, BUT WANTED HER AT HIS SIDE ALL THE TIME.
H
E WOULD INTIMIDATE OTHER ACTORS IF HE BELIEVED THEY WERE PAYING HER TOO MUCH ATTENTION.
W
ILLEM
D
AFOE WAS ONE WHO FELT
M
ICKEY’S WRATH AS HE WORKED WITH
D
EBRA ON THE CRIME THRILLER
TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA
, IN WHICH SHE PLAYED THE VILLAIN’S GIRLFRIEND.

M
ICKEY’S ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOR STARTED TO SHOW ITSELF.
H
E WAS RIDDLED WITH PHOBIAS.
F
OR EXAMPLE, HE WOULDN’T GO IN THE OCEAN BECAUSE HE WAS FRIGHTENED A SHARK WOULD GET HIM.

D
EBRA BELIEVES ALL THAT INSECURITY LED HIM TO THE BAD BEHAVIOR WHICH BECAME A HALLMARK OF HIS
H
OLLYWOOD CAREER.

M
ICKEY SUDDENLY BECAME VERY OPINIONATED ABOUT SHOW BUSINESS AND INFLICTED HIS VIEWS AND HIS DEMANDS ON HIS WIFE.
H
E WOULD SEE HER WORKING WITH ACTORS AND PRODUCERS WHOM HE DIDN’T RATE, AND IT REALLY ANNOYED HIM.
M
ICKEY FAILED TO SHARE HER IDEALISTIC, ROMANTIC VIEW OF
H
OLLYWOOD, SEEING IT INSTEAD AS A GIANT POOL OF SHARKS.

D
EBRA FELT STARDOM EVENTUALLY WENT TO HIS HEAD AND THAT IT LEFT
M
ICKEY VERY CYNICAL, SOUR, AND DISILLUSIONED WITH THE MOVIE WORLD.
T
HERE WERE PLENTY OF ARGUMENTS AND TEMPER TANTRUMS, WHICH HURT THE RELATIONSHIP.

M
ICKEY HAD AN OLD FASHIONED VIEW OF MARRIAGE, IN WHICH HE WANTED HIS WIFE TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO HER HUSBAND RATHER THAN HAVING HER OWN AMBITIONS.
B
UT
D
EBRA WASN’T THAT KIND OF PERSON.
S
HE WASN’T AT ALL PLEASED.
F
OR EXAMPLE, DURING THE PERIOD WHEN HE WAS PREPARING FOR AND MAKING
9½ WEEKS
,
M
ICKEY GOT INTO CHARACTER BY ISOLATING HIMSELF FROM HER – GOING TO LIVE IN A HOTEL SUITE AND LEAVING HER HOME ALONE, AND BECOMING SELFISH RATHER than sensitive to her needs. The movie made him a superstar but his wife’s mood wasn’t helped by the fact that her own acting career was failing to catch fire.

T
HE MARRIAGE REALLY GOT INTO TROUBLE WHEN
M
ICKEY STARTED TO BE SEEN OUT WITH OTHER WOMEN, INCLUDING MODEL-ACTRESS
L
AUREN
H
UTTON WHO WAS IN A CAR CRASH WITH THE ACTOR IN HIS
M
ERCEDES AS
D
EBRA WAITED FOR
M
ICKEY TO COME HOME.
T
HEY HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON THE TWISTING
M
ULHOLLAND
D
RIVE IN
LA
WITH
H
UTTON AT THE WHEEL WHEN SHE SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAINSIDE.
N
EITHER OF THEM WAS HURT BUT THE CAR WAS WRITTEN OFF.
M
ICKEY TOOK
L
AUREN WITH HIM TO BUY A NEW ONE THE NEXT DAY, AND HE WAS AT THE WHEEL THIS TIME WHEN THEY DROVE AWAY FROM THE
M
ERCEDES DEALERSHIP.
D
ESPITE HIS WOMANIZING IMAGE,
D
EBRA DOESN’T BELIEVE
M
ICKEY EVER CHEATED ON HER.
B
UT HE DID SEEM TO LOSE ALL INTEREST IN THEIR MARRIAGE.
H
E WASN’T AROUND AND REFUSED TO TRY COUPLES THERAPY.

M
ICKEY SEEMED TO PREFER LIVING IN HOTELS TO LIVING AT HOME, AND
D
EBRA RARELY VISITED HIM ON FILM SETS, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO PRACTICE YOGA AND MEDITATION.
T
HEY STARRED TOGETHER IN THE MOVIE
HOMEBOY
WHILE THEY WERE ESTRANGED, BUT WORKING TOGETHER FAILED TO BRING
M
ICKEY AND
D
EBRA BACK TOGETHER AS A COUPLE.
S
HE FILED FOR DIVORCE IN 1989 AND THE SPLIT WAS MADE FINAL A YEAR LATER.

M
ICKEY FELT BAD ABOUT GIVING UP ON THE MARRIAGE AND HOW HE HAD TREATED
D
EBRA, AND ALTHOUGH SHE ONLY ASKED FOR HER FAIR SHARE IN THE SPLIT, HE GAVE HER EVERYTHING.
W
HILE SHE STAYED IN THE MARITAL HOME, HE BOUGHT A NEW PLACE FIFTEEN MILES AWAY.

D
EBRA
F
EUER’S MOVIE CAREER NEVER TOOK OFF IN THE WAY THAT HER HUSBAND’S DID, BUT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH
M
ICKEY IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS AND THEY ARE NOW CLOSE FRIENDS.
D
EBRA IS CURRENTLY A YOGA TEACHER AND HAS MARRIED AGAIN, TO CAMERAMAN
S
COTT
F
ULLER.
W
HEN SHE FELL FOR
S
COTT,
M
ICKEY INSISTED ON MEETING HIM SO HE COULD GIVE HER NEW MAN THE SEAL OF APPROVAL, WHICH HE DID.
H
E LIKES
S
COTT AND THE COUPLE’S TEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
J
ESSICA
R
UBY.
S
HE CALLS HIM
U
NCLE
M
ICKEY AND HE INVITES HER ROUND TO PLAY WITH HIS DOGS.
A
ND WHEN HE FINISHED FILMING
THE WRESTLER
, ONE OF
M
ICKEY’S FIRST CALLS WAS TO
D
EBRA, EXCITEDLY TELLING HER HE HAD JUST GIVEN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS LIFE.

A
FTER SPLITTING FROM
D
EBRA,
M
ICKEY WASN’T SINGLE FOR LONG.
H
E FELL HARD FOR
T
ERRY
F
ARRELL, AN UP-AND-COMING ACTRESS WHO HAD BEEN IN A SOAP OPERA CALLED
PAPER DOLLS
AND WHO WOULD GO ON TO FIND FAME AS
J
ADZIA
D
AX IN THE
TV
SERIES
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE.

M
UCH LIKE THE MARRIAGE HE HAD JUST LEFT, THIS, TOO, WAS A STORMY RELATIONSHIP WITH MANY BUST-UPS.
B
UT MAKING UP WAS THE BEST PART, AND HOW THEY ENJOYED THAT.
T
HEY WERE A PASSIONATE COUPLE WHO WOULD DISAPPEAR INTO THE BEDROOM FOR HOURS ON END.
I
F
M
ICKEY LOOKED TIRED A LOT IN THIS PERIOD, IT WAS LIKELY DUE TO HIS MARATHON SEX SESSIONS WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND.
T
ACTILE
T
ERRY WAS ALWAYS TOUCHING HIM, EVEN WHEN HE WAS TALKING BUSINESS WITH SOMEONE.
P
EOPLE WHO SAW THEM TOGETHER REMEMBER HER SITTING AT HIS FEET OR STANDING CLOSE TO HIM, MOUTHING THE WORDS, “
I
LOVE YOU.”

B
UT LEST HIS LEGIONS OF FEMALE FANS WOULD BE UPSET TO FIND HE HAD A STEADY GIRLFRIEND,
M
ICKEY DIDN’T ADVERTISE THE FACT THEY WERE DATING.
H
E WOULD AVOID BEING PHOTOGRAPHED WITH HER IN PUBLIC AND DIDN’T MENTION
T
ERRY IN INTERVIEWS.
T
HE ROMANCE ONLY WENT PUBLIC WHEN IT ENDED.
E
VENTUALLY, THE INCREASING NUMBER OF arguments got too much for Terry and she ended their romance in a phone call. Mickey was in Italy at the time and just about to make a live appearance on a TV chat show. Minutes later, millions of Italian viewers watched, stunned, as the star guest broke down in tears on air saying how much he needed Terry and that he couldn’t live without her. The couple did give it another try a short time afterwards but couldn’t patch things up and split for good.

M
ICKEY WAS ROMANTICALLY LINKED WITH SEVERAL OTHER WOMEN AFTER THAT, INCLUDING
P
RINCESS
S
TEPHANIE OF
M
ONACO, BUT THAT RELATIONSHIP NEVER DEVELOPED BECAUSE
M
ICKEY DIDN’T LIKE THE WAY THE ROYAL SO OFTEN WANTED TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.

B
UT HE WAS SOON TO FIND A LESSER-KNOWN BEAUTY WHOM HE WOULD TREAT LIKE A PRINCESS.

C
ARRÉ
O
TIS, A YOUNG MODEL WHOSE STUNNING FACE ADORNED COVERS OF GLOSSY FASHION MAGAZINES LIKE
VOGUE
,
ELLE
,
HARPER’S,
AND
COSMOPOLITAN
, AS WELL AS ADS FOR
G
UESS AND
C
ALVIN
K
LEIN, WAS CAST AS
M
ICKEY’S LOVER IN THE EROTIC MOVIE
WILD ORCHID,
AND THE PAIR FELL FOR EACH OTHER ON AND OFF SCREEN.

I
T WAS A PART SHE SO NEARLY MISSED OUT ON BECAUSE BIGGER NAMES WERE OFFERED IT FIRST.
B
ROOKE
S
HIELDS WAS FIRST CHOICE FOR THE ROLE OF YOUNG INNOCENT
E
MILY
R
EED BUT THAT FAILED TO WORK OUT AFTER
B
ROOKE MADE IT CLEAR THAT SHE WAS NOT PREPARED TO DO THE NUDE SCENES.
S
UPERMODEL
C
INDY
C
RAWFORD, WHO WAS LOOKING TO BREAK INTO MOVIES, WAS THEN OFFERED THE ROLE, BUT EVENTUALLY TURNED IT DOWN, DECIDING SHE DIDN’T WANT SUCH EXPLICIT SEX SCENES TO BE PART OF HER FIRST FILM.
S
O IN STEPPED
C
ARRÉ FOR HER FILM DEBUT.
S
HE MAY HAVE LACKED ACTING EXPERIENCE BUT HER LOOKS CERTAINLY WEREN’T LACKING.

C
ARRÉ AND
M
ICKEY FELL FOR EACH OTHER ON DAY ONE, AND IT WAS AN INTENSE ATTRACTION FROM THE START.
W
ITH HIS DIVORCE FROM
D
EBRA NOW FINALIZED AND THE
T
ERRY HEARTBREAK BEHIND HIM,
M
ICKEY WENT ALL OUT TO WOO
C
ARRÉ, AND SHE SEEMED EQUALLY WILD ABOUT HIM.
T
HE STUNNER FROM
S
AN
F
RANCISCO LOVED THE ACTOR’S STRENGTH, INTELLIGENCE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND LOOKS.
M
EANWHILE,
M
ICKEY WAS UTTERLY SMITTEN, CALLING HIS CO-STAR, “
O
NE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
G
OD EVER CREATED.”

W
HEN THE PAIR SHARED AN INTENSE SEX SCENE IN THE MOVIE, THERE WERE MANY WHO BELIEVED THEY WEREN’T FAKING IT BUT ACTUALLY MADE LOVE FOR REAL ON CAMERA, A CLAIM
C
ARRÉ LATER DENIED.
T
HEIR ROMANCE DIDN’T FIZZLE OUT AFTER FILMING ENDED.
I
NSTEAD, THEIR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER GREW EVEN STRONGER, AND WHEN
M
ICKEY PROPOSED,
C
ARRÉ EAGERLY SAID, “
Y
ES.”

I
T SEEMED LIKE A FAIRY TALE – THE MOVIE STAR MARRYING THE SUPERMODEL.
T
HE LOVEBIRDS WERE MARRIED ON 26
J
UNE 1992 IN BEAUTIFUL
B
IG
S
UR,
C
ALIFORNIA, AND THEN HAD AN IDYLLIC HONEYMOON, TAKING OFF TOGETHER ON A ROMANTIC ROAD TRIP, DRIVING ACROSS
A
MERICA IN HIS 1969
R
OAD
R
UNNER CONVERTIBLE.

H
OWEVER, THE HONEYMOON WAS SOON OVER AND THE STORMY YEARS OF MARRIAGE BEGAN.
B
OTH OF THEM HAD EQUALLY EXPLOSIVE PERSONALITIES – THEY WERE LIKE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING TOGETHER – AND FREQUENT CLASHES RESULTED.
M
ICKEY WANTED HIS WIFE TO GIVE UP OR SCALE DOWN HER MODELING WORK, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE HAD SOME BIG MONEY CONTRACTS LINED UP, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING SHE WAS HAPPY TO DO IN ORDER TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HER HUSBAND.

T
HEIRS WAS A PASSIONATE RELATIONSHIP IN EVERY WAY AND THEY were so devoted they each had tattoos of the other’s name. But the tempestuous couple also generated plenty of ink in the tabloids. Their six-year marriage would be full of headline allegations of drug abuse and violence.

T
HE FIRST SHOCKER CAME ON 22
S
EPTEMBER 1991 WHEN, WHILE VISITING
M
ICKEY IN
S
ANTE
F
E,
N
EW
M
EXICO, WHERE HE WAS FILMING
WHITE SANDS
,
C
ARRÉ WAS SHOT BY A GUN REGISTERED TO
M
ICKEY.
S
HE WAS RUSHED TO HOSPITAL WITH A BULLET WOUND IN HER SHOULDER AND THE POLICE WERE CALLED.
C
ARRÉ TOLD THE COPS THAT HER HUSBAND DIDN’T SHOOT HER AND IT HAD ALL BEEN AN ACCIDENT: SHE HAD MOVED A BLACK BAG WHICH, UNKNOWN TO HER, CONTAINED A LOADED .357
M
AGNUM AND IT ACCIDENTALLY WENT OFF.
N
O CHARGES WERE FILED.