Mickey Rourke has withdrawn from the ITV reality series Celebrity Big Brother. He was given an official reprimand, the use of his behavior and strong language that Big Brother deemed “unacceptable.” On Monday, Rourke got into the house accompanied by an exuberant welcoming committee of celebrities. Among them were TV icon JoJo Siwa and influencer Chris Hughes. His exit comes after several instances of inappropriate remarks aimed at Siwa have caused outrage from fans and other competitors.
The initial reprimand that was issued to Rourke stated that she had used language deemed to be threatening, intimidating and aggressive towards Hughes. Things really heated up when Siwa took to social media and publicly shared that she was hurt by Rourke’s comment that sexualized her. After Rourke questioned Siwa about her preference for boys or girls, he made a particularly controversial statement, saying, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay any more.” This comment led Siwa to accuse Chmerkovsky of making “homophobic” comments.
Despite being called into the diary room by Big Brother, where he was informed that his language was offensive, Rourke attempted to downplay the situation. He stated, “I know. I was talking about a cigarette,” and later added, “I apologise. I don’t have dishonourable intentions – I’m just talking smack, you know. I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean in it any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.”
Siwa’s discomfort was apparent to her housemates, particularly Hughes, who noted her upset demeanor following Rourke’s comments. Siwa made it clear to Rourke that his words were unacceptable, stating, “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
Ultimately, more inappropriate language ultimately forced Rourke’s departure from the show. Rourke’s exit from the series was confirmed by Big Brother after he was warned several times about his inappropriate behavior. His departure highlights the continuing conversations that need to happen around accountability and respect in reality television spaces.
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