Mickey Rourke Penning Tell-All Amid Money Woes: ‘The More Dirt He Spills, the More He’ll Make’ (Exclusive)

Mickey Rourke is preparing to solve his financial troubles by penning a tell-all book that will lift the lid on his tumultuous life in Hollywood, a source tells the National Enquirer.

The Wrestler star, 73, “is sitting on decades of wild Hollywood stories,” says the source. “For a long time, Mickey resisted the idea of putting them all down on paper because he didn’t want to look bitter or desperate.”

His situation has changed, though.

As the Enquirer previously reported, the Oscar nominee owes $59,100 in past-due rent and is facing eviction from the three-bedroom Spanish bungalow he’s been renting in California’s Beverly Grove neighborhood.

“If Mickey lifts the lid on it all, it’s bound to cause some red faces,” the source tells the Enquirer. “But the more dirt he spills, the more he’ll make. That’s how these things work and right now, he clearly needs some cash.”

That’s not the only reason why Rourke is writing a memoir.

“There’s a big part of him that does want to tell his side of things,” the source explains. “A lot of people rewrote history when his career went off the rails.”

The Angel Heart star wants to settle some scores as well.

“Make no mistake, Mickey’s holding plenty of grudges,” reveals the source, adding that it’s no secret the actor butted heads with former costars Robert De Niro and Sean Penn. “Anyone who’s burned bridges with him should be worried.”

Rourke’s dating history will also be a big focus of the book.

“He was with so many starlets in his prime,” spills the source, including costars Kim Basinger and Carré Otis. “There were plenty of others too.”

There’s no telling what else Rourke might reveal.

“Mickey can be a loose cannon at the best of times,” the source admits. “Once he starts talking, the temptation to go more salacious will be hard to resist.”