Mickey Rourke has officially bowed out of "Celebrity Big Brother UK," amidst a storm of controversy triggered by his use of "inappropriate language" and exhibition of "unacceptable behavior." A spokesperson for the reality TV show, addressing The Hollywood Reporter, issued a statement revealing, "After a frank discussion with Big Brother concerning his persistent employment of offensive language and unacceptable conduct, Mickey Rourke has voluntarily agreed to vacate the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening."
The actor's exit stems from his exhibition of "threatening and aggressive" demeanor during a heated dispute with former Love Island contestant Chris Hughes. Rourke's tenure in the Celebrity Big Brother house, which commenced on Monday, has been nothing short of controversial.
During Wednesday's episode, the Sin City star ignited a firestorm by inquiring about the sexuality of former Dance Moms star Jojo Siwa, responding with, "If I stay beyond four days, you'll no longer be gay." This exchange culminated in Rourke uttering a homophobic slur. As he and his fellow housemates deliberated on the show's rules, which include voting one another out, he declared, "I'll swiftly vote the lesbian out," a comment clearly aimed at Siwa, who promptly flagged it as homophobic. Shortly thereafter, Rourke shouted, "I need a fuck," gesturing towards Siwa and asserting, "I'm not talking to you," clarifying that he was merely "talking about a cigarette."
For this incident, Rourke received a formal warning. In the Big Brother diary room, he offered, "I apologize. My intentions are not dishonorable – I was merely engaging in idle chatter. I didn't take it all too seriously. I didn't mean it in a malicious way, and if I did, I'm sorry."
This moment quickly gained viral traction, further tarnishing Rourke's image when Bella Thorne accused him of sexual misconduct during their collaboration on the 2020 horror film Girl. Over a picture of Rourke on Celebrity Big Brother, the actress wrote, "This fucking dude. GROSS. I had to endure working with this man – in a scene where I'm kneeling, my hands zip-tied behind my back. He was supposed to use a metal grinder on my knee cap, but instead, he abused it on my genitals through my jeans, repeatedly hitting them. I ended up with bruises on my pelvic bone." She added, "Working with Mickey was one of the worst experiences of my acting career."
