Hollywood veteran Mickey Rourke has landed himself in hot water after sparking outrage with controversial comments directed at JoJo Siwa inside the Celebrity Big Brother UK house.
The 72-year-old actor, known for roles in The Wrestler and Iron Man 2, entered the iconic Big Brother house on Monday alongside 21-year-old pop star and LGBTQ+ advocate JoJo Siwa.
But just days into the reality show, tensions flared after a string of remarks from Rourke that viewers and housemates labelled homophobic.
The incident began when Rourke asked Siwa if she liked “boys or girls.” Siwa calmly responded, “Girls. My partner is non-binary.”
Rourke then said, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” to which Siwa quickly fired back, “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and in a very happy relationship.”
However, the situation escalated even further when Rourke, during a conversation about evictions, declared, “I’m going to vote the lesbi@n out real quick.”
His words didn’t go unnoticed, and Siwa immediately addressed them, calling the statement “homophobic” and confronting him for targeting her identity as a reason for eviction.
Later, Rourke made another controversial remark, saying, “I need a fag,” before pointing at Siwa and adding, “I’m not talking to you.”
Though “fag” is a British slang term for a cigarette, the context and timing stirred serious backlash—especially given the ongoing discussion.
Chris Hughes, former Love Island contestant and current housemate, stepped in to warn Rourke about his tone, which prompted the actor to brush it off as a misunderstanding.
Rourke was summoned to the Diary Room where he received a formal warning from Big Brother for his “offensive and unacceptable” language. He was told that any further behavior of this kind could result in removal from the show.
“I apologize. I don’t have dishonorable intentions,” Rourke said in the Diary Room. “I was just talking smack. I didn’t mean it in a bad way, and if it came off that way, I’m sorry.”
He later apologized directly to Siwa, admitting,
“I’ve got a habit of having a short fuse… If I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t say sorry.”
Siwa, clearly emotional after the exchange, responded: “I appreciate your apology.”
While the apology was acknowledged, the moment triggered a wave of online criticism.
Social media lit up with furious viewers demanding Rourke’s eviction. One user tweeted: “JoJo Siwa being subjected to homophobic bigotry from Mickey Rourke was a hard watch.”
Others highlighted the deeply troubling nature of the comments, with another writing:
“Mickey Rourke’s behavior is dangerous, not funny. Full credit to Chris Hughes for standing up for JoJo.”
This isn’t the first time Rourke has made headlines for using slurs. In 2011, TMZ caught him using the F-word on camera during a verbal altercation.
ITV has since released a statement emphasizing that all housemates are given Respect and Inclusion training prior to entering the house.
“Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day, and any inappropriate behavior is addressed immediately,” a show spokesperson said.
As Celebrity Big Brother UK continues to unfold, all eyes remain on Rourke—now walking a fine line after a disturbing start.
Feature Image Credit: (Big Brother UK)
