Warning: This article discusses discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, which may be distressing to some readers.
Mickey Rourke has departed from Celebrity Big Brother following a series of unacceptable comments on the reality TV show. The announcement came from ITV on Saturday (April 12) that Rourke had ‘agreed to leave’ CBB after ‘a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour’.
The well-known actor was removed from the show after an ‘unacceptable’ disagreement with Love Island star and sports broadcaster, Chris Hughes.
While the specifics of the incident remain unclear, it is evident that Rourke had previously made numerous controversial and inappropriate remarks while in the Big Brother house.
Rourke initially stirred controversy with homophobic comments directed at his Celebrity Big Brother co-star, JoJo Siwa.
During a conversation, the Iron Man 2 star inquired about the 21-year-old singer’s sexual orientation. Siwa explained that she liked girls and had a non-binary partner.
“If I stay longer than four days, you [Siwa] won’t be gay anymore,” Rourke remarked.
In response, Siwa said, “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship,” to which Rourke replied: “I’ll tie you up.”
He also commented about voting out ‘the lesbian real quick’, which Siwa called ‘homophobic’.
Following this exchange, Big Brother called Rourke into the diary room and warned him, stating: “Further language or behaviour of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house.”
Rourke apologized, an apology that Siwa chose to accept.
In another incident, comedian Donna Preston was relaxing in bed with an LED face mask when Rourke made remarks perceived as body-shaming.
“You’d probably be better off running round the block for 10 minutes,” he said, adding that it ‘comes with the territory’.
“It’s like they say, you are what you eat,” he added, leaving Preston uncomfortable, a reaction that is quite understandable.
Rourke joined the Big Brother house on April 7, and he sparked controversy even before entering by how he interacted with co-presenter AJ Odudu. His ogling led Odudu to ask him to stop, an action viewers deemed ‘unacceptable’.
One user on X commented: “JoJo Siwa being subjected to homophobic bigotry from Mickey Rourke was a hard watch.”
Another user expressed confusion: “Confused on why there are so many Mickey Rourke defenders …”
A third user added: “There’s just no f***ing support for women nowadays.”
After Rourke’s eviction from CBB, Bella Thorne, who starred alongside Rourke in the 2020 film Girl, used social media to make allegations against him.
Thorne posted on Instagram, stating: “This f**king dude. GROSS. I had to work with this man – In a scene where I’m on my knees with my hands zip-tied around my back. He’s supposed to take a metal grinder to my kneecap, and instead he used it on my genitals thru my jeans. Hitting them over and over again.”
She described the experience as leaving her with ‘bruises on [her] pelvic bone’ and called working with Rourke ‘one of the all-time worst experiences of my life working as an actress’.
A representative for Rourke has denied these allegations.
In a statement to Variety, Rourke’s representative said: “These allegations are extremely serious. Mr. Rourke adamantly denies any intentional misconduct. He was not made aware of any such concerns during filming and had no prior knowledge of Ms. Thorne’s discomfort until now.”
The statement continued: “Out of respect for all parties and given the gravity of the claims, Mr. Rourke will not be making further public comment at this time. He remains willing to cooperate with any appropriate inquiry through the proper channels.
“We affirm the right of every performer to feel safe and respected in their work environment.”