Mickey Rourke was kicked out of the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother after using offensive language and behaving in ways that were not acceptable. The 72-year-old actor, famous for movies like The Wrestler, was removed from the show on Sunday, April 14, 2025, following multiple incidents with other contestants. Although Rourke admitted he was wrong and said he felt ashamed and sorry.
Earlier in the week, Rourke had been given a formal warning because of an argument with 21-year-old singer JoJo Siwa. During their conversation, Rourke made comments that Siwa said were homophobic. The Rolling Stone reported that Rourke asked Siwa whether she liked boys or girls.
When Siwa replied that she liked girls and that her partner was non-binary, Rourke allegedly said, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.” He then made more offensive remarks, including saying, “I need a f*g,” which is British slang for a cigarette, while looking at Siwa and adding, “I’m not talking to you.” He also reportedly talked about his strategy for the game, saying he would “vote the lesbian out real quick.”
Rourke apologized for harassing Jojo Siwa on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’
While still in the house, Rourke apologized for these comments, but his apology seemed to downplay how serious his actions were. He said, “I apologize. I don’t have dishonorable intentions… I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.” However, this apology wasn’t enough to stop further consequences.
The warning from Big Brother made it clear that he would be removed if Rourke behaved the same way again. But more incidents happened. Rourke was accused of using “threatening and aggressive” language toward Chris Hughes, a former Love Island contestant, during a challenge. He also used sexually inappropriate language toward another housemate, Ella Rae Wise, though he later claimed he didn’t realize his words were offensive.
Hughes stepped in after Rourke’s “f*g” comment, telling him, “you can’t say that,” which shows how uncomfortable the other contestants were with Rourke’s behavior. In his exit interview, Rourke admitted he had “stepped over the line” and took responsibility for his actions. He said his behavior was partly due to a lifelong struggle with anger issues.
He explained, “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. I’m very sorry. I’m ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there.” He also revealed that he wanted to leave the show the day before he was kicked out, suggesting he knew how serious the situation had become.
Published: Apr 14, 2025 12:20 pm