Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke agreed to leave Celebrity Big Brother U.K. after producers warned him about inappropriate behaviour and offensive language on-set of the hit reality series.
Rourke, 72, agreed to depart the show on April 12 following a conflict with Chris Hughes, 32, a fellow houseguest and Love Island alum.
“You looking at me?” Rourke asked Hughes during a pirate-themed challenge after several houseguests suggested there was a rat amongst the crew.
“Don’t eyeball me. Don’t f***ing eyeball me c***,” Rourke said to Hughes as other houseguests separated the pair.
Following the disagreement between Rourke and Hughes, a spokesperson for Celebrity Big Brother U.K. said the actor’s language was considered “threatening and aggressive” and noted that no physical altercation took place.
“Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour,” the spokesperson for Celebrity Big Brother U.K. told the BBC.
During Sunday’s episode, the events leading up to Rourke’s departure were shown, including him using “sexual language” towards The Only Way is Essex star Ella Rae Wise, 24, who said she felt uncomfortable.
“(It) just makes me feel on edge. I don’t like the jokes, like the sexual jokes being made towards me. I’m a young girl and I’m not a piece of meat,” Wise told Big Brother in the Diary Room.
Big Brother then announced to the house that Rourke would be leaving, just seven days after entering the house.
Rourke apologized when he was confronted about his behaviour in the Diary Room, saying, “I’m sorry. I can’t take it back, you know, I stepped over the line.”
“And I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. Because I lost my temper, and I’ve been trying to work on it my whole life and I wish I would have had better self-control and I’m very sorry. I’m ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there,” he said.
“I blame myself. I know it was my bad, you know, I’ve got a short fuse. I know I upset a lot of people out there,” Rourke continued. “I’m sorry for that. I’m actually ashamed of myself for getting that hot. I went over the line, you know, I did wrong. I guess I could say I’m a work in progress.”
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Just days before he removed himself from the house, Rourke received his first warning by the production after he directed several homophobic comments toward fellow housemate JoJo Siwa, 21.
In a clip from the episode, Rourke can be heard asking Siwa whether she likes boys or girls.
“Me? Girls. My partner is non-binary,” Siwa said in the footage.
“If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” Rourke replied to Siwa.
“I can guarantee, I’ll still be gay, and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship,” Siwa shot back.
Later in the episode, Rourke told Hughes that he’s “going to vote the lesbian out real quick,” which Siwa overheard and said to Rourke, “That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning.”
Rourke then said loudly, “I need a f**,” and gestured towards Siwa and said, “I’m not talking to you.”
Hughes jumped in and told Rourke that he should not say that, to which Rourke retorted he meant he needed a cigarette.
Once Rourke returned to the house, Big Brother said over the speakers: “This is Big Brother, would Mickey come to the Diary Room?”
“Mickey, do you understand how this language could be offensive to your housemates or the viewing public?” Big Brother asked Rourke once he was in the Diary Room.
“Big Brother thinks your language was offensive and unacceptable,” Big Brother told Rourke. “As a result, Big Brother is giving you a formal warning.”
“Right, I understand that. I apologize. I don’t have dishonourable intentions. I’m just talking smack, you know?” Rourke said.
In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson for ITV, which airs Celebrity Big Brother U.K., said, “All housemates receive respect and inclusion training and an extensive briefing from the Big Brother senior team to prepare them for living in the house and to set out Big Brother’s expectation for appropriate behaviour and language.
“Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and instances of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with appropriately and timely.”
After Rourke began making headlines for his comments on the show, actress Bella Thorne accused him of sexual misconduct on-set of a film they worked on together. She did not specify the project, but the pair worked together on the horror film Girl, released in 2020.
“This f****ing dude. GROSS,” Throne wrote over a picture of Rourke. “I had to work with this man — in a scene where I’m on my knees and with my hands zip tied around my back. He’s supposed to take a metal grinder to my kneecap cap and instead he used it on my genitals through my jeans. Hitting them over and over again. I had bruises on my pelvic bone.”
“Working with Mickey was one of the all-time worst experiences of my life working as an actress,” Thorne added.
In another post, Thorne continued to describe her experience with Rourke, writing, “So many gross stories of things he made me go through on that movie, including in his last scene to speed up and rev his engine so he could cover me completely in dirt.”
“I guess he thought it was funny to humiliate me in front of the entire crew. Having to go in his trailer absolutely alone because he refused to speak to the director or producers — so I had to convince him to show up and complete his job, as he shouted crazy demands that he wanted from the producers. In fact I had to beg. Alone. In his trailer,” Throne wrote.
“Since the movie could not be finished without him. Everyone’s work would’ve just been lost and completely for nothing. I didn’t wanna do it. I was uncomfortable, but I did what I was asked to do and what was best for the movie,” she said. “Mickey should’ve never put anybody in that movie in any of those positions that he did.”
In response to Thorne’s allegations, a representative for Rourke told The Hollywood Reporter, “We are aware of the deeply troubling statements made by Bella Thorne regarding her experience on-set with Mr. Rourke during the production of a past film. These allegations are extremely serious.”
“Mr. Rourke adamantly denies any intentional misconduct. He has not been contacted previously with any claims of this nature and was unaware of any discomfort expressed by Ms. Thorne at the time,” the rep continued. “Out of respect for all parties involved and in light of the gravity of the claims, Mr. Rourke will refrain from commenting further at this time.”
“He is prepared to cooperate fully with any appropriate inquiry. We extend our support to all professionals who deserve to feel safe and respected in their workplace,” Rourke’s rep added.
‘Celebrity Big Brother U.K.’ airs weeknights at 9 p.m. BST on ITV1 and ITVX.
