Mickey Rourke’s exit from Celebrity Big Brother UK has resulted in a legal battle. His agent, Kimberly Hines, made the announcement that he’s planning to sue the reality TV series. The 72-year-old actor exited the competition after he made a series of anti-LGBT comments about his fellow housemate JoJo Siwa. His remarks have raised all manner of doubt about their relevance and setting.
The conflict reached a boiling point on the April 9 show. Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa has been open about her sexuality and most recently told People she likes girls and is dating a non-binary partner. In reaction to Siwa’s coming out, Rourke made a string of homophobic comments that were identified as “threatening and aggressive. He stated, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” a remark that prompted immediate backlash.
When a panelist asked Rourke to explain the show’s public voting process, he responded with a lewd remark. He announced, “I’m going to get that lesbian voted out right away.” Yet his comments were especially egregious, and as such, he received a warning from the producers of the show for being insufferable. After this transphobic warning and the resulting outrage, Rourke stepped down from the show in order to walk the talk.
For Hines, the very controversial and attention-grabbing nature of Rourke’s presence is exactly why it’s so exciting to have him on the show. She contended that the show’s producers should have been prepared for her character. They were fully aware of his background and lifestyle before he came to the show.
“In our discussions, Big Brother was made fully aware of Mickey Rourke’s background and lifestyle,” – Kimberly Hines
Even being aware of Rourke’s prickly persona, Hines blasted the producers for their poor management of this story line. To her, they had crossed the line by using Rourke’s exit as a marketing ploy and causing him public humiliation along the way.
“Yet rather than handle it professionally, they took it too far — publicly embarrassing him and using his removal as a marketing tool,” – Kimberly Hines
Since unprofessional treatment is one thing, Rourke’s treatment was “deeply disrespectful & damaging,” Hines went on. She said that those moves were abhorrent. That was particularly the case for a cast on a reality television series that had already given the actor his storyline.
To make matters worse, Hines disclosed that Celebrity Big Brother UK has not paid Rourke the full amount they agreed to pay him. This continued refusal has gone a long way in leading Rourke to pursue legal recourse against the network.
“To add insult to injury, Big Brother is now refusing to pay Mickey his full agreed-upon fee,” – Kimberly Hines
Hines has verified that Rourke’s legal team is in fact still pursuing the matter with vigor. They have expressed their willingness to work through needed procedures to face both the public relations standoff and the fiscal debacle stemming from his tenure on the show.
“His legal team is currently pursuing the matter,” – Kimberly Hines
While this situation is unfolding, Rourke’s comments and removal from the show are still bringing attention to what should be considered unacceptable behavior on reality television. The incident raises questions regarding how networks handle controversial figures and the implications of their actions on participants’ reputations and livelihoods.