- Mickey Rourke has agreed to exit Celebrity Big Brother UK after he used “inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior,” according to a spokesperson for the show
- The actor’s departure was related to a disagreement with fellow contestant Chris Hughes
- Earlier this week, Rourke was reprimanded after he got into a confrontation with JoJo Siwa and used language that she called “homophobic”
Mickey Rourke has agreed to exit Celebrity Big Brother UK after producers previously warned him about inappropriate behavior and the use of offensive language on set.
According to reports from Variety and the BBC, the Sin City actor, 72, agreed on Saturday, April 21, to exit the show following a disagreement between himself and fellow housemate Chris Hughes.
“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 behavior,” a spokesperson for Celebrity Big Brother told Variety in a statement.
The spokesperson said that while no physical altercation took place, Rourke used language that was considered “threatening and aggressive.”
Earlier this week, the Oscar nominee received a warning for inappropriate comments toward another housemate, JoJo Siwa.
During the April 9 episode, Rourke asked Siwa, 21, if she likes boys or girls. She replied, “Girls. My partner is non-binary.”
“If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” the actor then said, prompting Siwa to respond: “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
The Wrestler star went on to say that he would “tie” up Siwa before fellow housemates Hughes, 32, and Ella Rae began talking to him about his career.
When the conversation switched to how the voting process works, Rourke said, “I’m going to vote the lesbian out real quick.”
“That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning,” Siwa replied.
Later on, Rourke said: “I need a f–,” referring to the British slang use of the word as “cigarette,” but he then gestured toward Siwa and said, “I’m not talking about you.”
In an interview, producers for the show told Rourke that he would be “removed from the Big Brother house” if he continued his use of inappropriate language.
“I apologize. I don’t have dishonorable intentions,” he said in response. “I’m just talking smack, you know. I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.”
A spokesperson for ITV told Variety at the time: “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 behavior and language. Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and instances of inappropriate behavior are dealt with appropriately and timely.”
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Before agreeing to leave the show, Rourke faced the possibility of being the first contestant to be evicted from the CBB UK house this season, after Siwa was given a special power to choose one housemate to automatically face the public vote.
Usually, a set number of contestants are placed up for the possibility of eviction after receiving the most votes from their fellow housemates.
Siwa said Rourke made her “killer nomination choice pretty easy,” having made homophobic comments to her earlier.
Rourke’s confrontation with Siwa came just days after the actor was called out for behaving inappropriately toward host AJ Odudu while entering the house.
Co-host Will Best said, “Careful, Mickey,” after the actor “grabbed” and “ogled” Odudu, 37.
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