Bella Thorne is revisiting "one of the utmost harrowing encounters" in her acting career. In retaliation to Mickey Rourke's recent homophobic remarks directed at JoJo Siwa, Thorne took to her Instagram Story and X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, recounting a traumatic experience she had while working alongside him on a film set, although she refrained from disclosing the title. "This abhorrent individual. DISGUSTING," the actress captioned a picture of Rourke. "I was compelled to collaborate with this man—in a scene where I was kneeling, my hands bound behind my back with zip ties. He was meant to employ a metal grinder on my kneecap, but instead, he utilized it on my genitals, despite the fabric of my jeans. He struck repeatedly, leaving bruises on my pelvic bone."
Thorne, an advocate for the Time's Up movement, further elaborated, "Collaborating with Mickey stands as one of the most dreadful experiences of my acting journey." In another post, she delved deeper into her ordeal, sharing, "Numerous revolting anecdotes from that film emerged, one involving him revving his engine to its limit in his final scene, drenching me in dirt. He seemingly found amusement in humiliating me in front of the entire crew. I was forced to enter his trailer, utterly solitary, because he refused to converse with the director or producers. I had to implore him, alone in his trailer, to show up and fulfill his duties, amidst his manic demands he made of the producers. Indeed, I had to beg."
Despite recognizing the film couldn't have materialized without Rourke, Thorne did "what was most conducive for the movie," even though she "didn't want to." Although Thorne didn't specify the project, their collaboration can be traced back to the 2020 horror film, Girl.
In response to Thorne's allegations, Rourke's representatives issued the following statement: "We are cognizant of the profoundly distressing statements made by Bella Thorne concerning her encounter on set with Mr. Rourke during the production of a past film. These accusations are exceptionally grave. Mr. Rourke vehemently denies any deliberate misconduct. He has not been previously approached with claims of this nature and was unaware of any discomfort expressed by Ms. Thorne during the time. Out of respect for all involved parties and given the weight of the allegations, Mr. Rourke will refrain from further commentary at this juncture. He stands ready to fully cooperate with any appropriate investigation. We extend our support to all professionals who deserve a workplace that is safe and respectful."
