Mickey Rourke is exploring legal action against Celebrity Big Brother UK after his controversial exit.
“Big Brother is now refusing to pay Mickey his full agreed-upon fee. His legal team is currently pursuing the matter,” Rourke’s rep, Kimberly Hines, claimed in a statement to Us Weekly. “To use his name and image in this way, after a long and accomplished career, is an insult to a true cinematic icon. It disregards his legacy and crosses the line of basic respect — both within the industry and on a personal level.”
Hines claimed that producers were “fully aware” of Rourke’s “public persona” which she described as a “Hollywood rebel image.”
“They knew his presence would be explosive, controversial, and attention-grabbing — and that’s exactly what they got, and more,” the statement said. “They even promoted his provocative personality, which had already been well-documented in the press, and has become even more evident since the show aired.”
Related: Mickey Rourke Is ‘Ashamed’ of Behavior Amid ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ Exit
Mickey Rourke said he is “ashamed” of his controversial behavior on Celebrity Big Brother UK. The Oscar-nominated actor, 72, was asked to leave the Big Brother house on Saturday, April 12, following a tense verbal confrontation with fellow housemate Chris Hughes. In scenes that aired on ITV in the U.K. on Sunday, April 13, Big […]
Hines continued, “In our discussions, Big Brother was made fully aware of Mickey Rourke’s background and lifestyle. Yet rather than handle it professionally, they took it too far — publicly embarrassing him and using his removal as a marketing tool. That’s not just unprofessional; it’s deeply disrespectful and damaging.”
According to TMZ, Hines alleged that Rourke was later informed that the network would only cover hotel rooms up to $300 per night. Rourke has reportedly booked a hotel which cost him an estimated $50,000.
Hines told the outlet that the Celebrity Big Brother producers were aware of the risk of Rourke saying something controversial and they got what they wanted from him before “sending him out with barely a ride to the airport.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Rourke and Celebrity Big Brother UK for comment.
Rourke was one of the 13 star-studded houseguests competing on the U.K. interaction of the reality series. News broke on Saturday, April 12, that Rourke had been removed from the game.
“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,” a spokesperson for the told Us at the time.
Before his expulsion, Rourke received a formal warning following an encounter with fellow competitor JoJo Siwa. He told the Dance Moms alum that if she stayed in the house “longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” which offended her.
After the incident with Siwa, Rourke got into a disagreement with Love Island UK star Chris Hughes over a task. The two housemates got heated, but the confrontation reportedly did not turn physical. After news broke of his departure, ITV dropped a promo of the “heated” moment.
Rourke expressed his regrets over his behavior on the reality series and apologized in his exit episode which aired on Sunday, April 13.
“I stepped over the line. I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing,” he said. “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.”
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