Mickey Rourke just got evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house. He displayed homophobic behavior and used homophobic slurs while bullying fellow contestant JoJo Siwa. The harrowing encounter becomes an important cultural inflection point within the show’s ongoing fourth season. Earlier in the week, Rourke was issued a reprimand in writing after creating a political firestorm for expressing his controversial comments.
The 71-year-old actor, known for his role as Randy “The Ram” Robinson in the 2008 film The Wrestler, faced backlash after making comments about Siwa’s sexuality. The 21-year-old out US singer levelled a charge of homophobia against Rourke when he asked, “Do you like girls or boys?” During a tense moment, he further stated, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” which led to heightened tensions in the house.
In reaction to Rourke’s comment, Siwa took to her TikTok to share her anger, unapologetically flaunting her sexuality.
“I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.” – JoJo Siwa
Rourke’s aggressive conduct intensified during a dispatch to a domestic, where he used derogatory and threatening language exhibiting aggression towards a subject. His disobedience provoked the wrath of Big Brother. As they wrote, “More language or behavior of this nature and we will have to ask you to leave the Big Brother house.” Even after receiving this final warning, Rourke’s behavior only escalated leading to his eventual removal from the program.
Although the actual fight occurred off-camera, fellow contestant Chris Hughes consoled Siwa after the altercation, which aired during the show’s Wednesday episode. Hughes, a model and former Love Island contestant as well as a sports presenter for BBC and ITV, came to Siwa’s defense. Together, they found ways to address the fallout from Rourke’s comments.
General Rourke would write that he had acted inappropriately. I want to apologize.” … I know I have a short fuse and I shouldn’t take it out on anyone. The content of his comments and the circumstances around their delivery created a chilling atmosphere towards women and respect for their individuality around the house.
In 2009, Mickey Rourke received critical acclaim for his acting prowess. He won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his amazing performance in The Wrestler. Yet his recent derisive and cartoonish behavior on Twitter is tragically overshadowing past honors and commendations. This transition further underscores the danger of removing any accountability from reality TV environments.