Mickey Rourke has posted a reflective Instagram comment about his ex-wife Carré Otis, decades after their marriage became one of his most discussed personal chapters.
The actor, 73, reposted footage connected to Wild Orchid, the 1989 romantic drama that introduced him professionally and personally to Otis. In the caption, Rourke appeared to accept blame for the way their relationship unfolded, writing that it was “not her fault,” calling himself “a fool,” and saying the regret was his. People reported that the post was shared on Monday, June 1.
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Rourke Wrote That the Blame Was His
People described Rourke’s caption as difficult to decipher in places, but the main point was clear. He wrote that Otis was not at fault and that the mistake was his.
The wording stood out because Rourke has not always spoken about Otis’ account of their marriage in that tone. His new comment was not a full explanation of the relationship, but it did mark a public shift from the way he previously responded to her memoir.
Rourke and Otis Met on Wild Orchid
@memorykeeper7 #mickeyrourke#kerriotis#wildorchid#romantic#adrianlyne#zalmanking#drama#1989#cinema#love#nostalgi#миккирурк#керриотис#дикаяорхидея ♬ оригинальный звук – Chris
Rourke and Otis starred together in Wild Orchid, which tied their careers to their offscreen relationship. They married in June 1992 and divorced in December 1998.
The former couple also worked together again in the 1996 thriller Exit in Red.
Otis Later Described the Marriage as Abusive
In 2011, Otis published Beauty, Disrupted: A Memoir, which covered her modeling career, addiction, eating disorders, sexual assault, and her marriage to Rourke.
HarperCollins describes the book as including Otis’ account of her “infamous, abusive marriage” to Rourke. People also noted that Otis called the marriage abusive in a HuffPost interview tied to the memoir’s release.
Those details make Rourke’s new comment more serious than a nostalgic post about an old movie. The marriage had already been publicly described by Otis in painful terms.
Rourke Dismissed Her Memoir in 2011
Rourke’s new tone also stands out because of what he said when Otis’ memoir was first published.
In a 2011 appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight, Rourke said he had no intention of reading the book. CNN’s press room quoted him describing what he had heard about it as “sour grapes,” “chasing the buck,” and “a delusional, narcissistic self-centered point of view.”
Seen against those earlier remarks, the June 1 Instagram caption is a noticeable change. Rourke is no longer publicly dismissing Otis’ account in the same language. He is saying the fault was his.
Otis Defined Her Own Account Years Ago
Otis continued modeling and acting after the marriage, but her later public work has also included writing and advocacy around the modeling industry, recovery, exploitation, and body image.
People reported that she is now married to chemical engineer Matthew Sutton and has two daughters.
Rourke’s regret is only one part of the public record. Otis already gave her own account in her memoir and interviews more than a decade ago.