Carre Otis lucky to be alive after gunshot accident

Written by . Published: October 10 2011

Carre Otis has revealed how it is a "miracle" she is alive after Mickey Rourke's loaded gun once accidentally went off in her purse, leaving a bullet lodged just inches away from her heart.


The Wild Orchid star wed first husband Rourke in 1992 and in her new memoir, Beauty, Disrupted, she admits she nearly lost her life when the actor's gun, which he carried for safety, discharged and sent a bullet whizzing into her chest.

And Carre Otis admits she kept the terrifying incident a secret for years so as to not attract bad publicity.

In an excerpt from the book in the New York Post, she explains, "We were almost at the restaurant when I looked down and saw a .357 Magnum on the floor near my feet... Mickey parked the car and leaned towards me, his voice soft but firm. 'Otis, remember, it's for our protection. I am sorry, though. I'll talk to the guys about putting these things away.'

"What I didn't know was that he thought it would be a good idea to stash the gun inside my bag."

The couple ate dinner and returned home, where she then put her purse down in the kitchen.

She continues, "I slung my bag off my shoulder and tossed it onto the counter. Boom! A tremendous noise reverberated through the kitchen... And just then I noticed that everyone was staring at me, their eyes widening. I stood there, suspended in time. My head reeled. I began to sway slowly from side to side... I looked down at my bluejeans, my white shirt, and my black leather jacket. What was this strange red puddle flowing out around me in an eerily perfect circle?

"I looked back up at the guys, confused and bewildered... I gasped, and then a wild scream erupted from me. The gun in my purse, the one without a safety, had discharged the second I'd slung my bag onto the counter.

"I wailed. It hurt so much to move. 'This is a nightmare. Clean this up!' Mickey was agitated. I could tell he had grave concerns that the would press would get wind of the incident. I panicked, wondering which was more important: my life or covering up the fact that I'd been shot with Mickey Rourke's gun?"

"I had been hit with a hollow-point bullet. It was a miracle I was alive - never mind alive with my arm still attached to my body! The bullet had entered just two inches from my heart. The police questioned me, but no charges were filed."