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Mikey Rourke has been stirring up controversy in Hollywood for over forty years.
But the actor’s latest string of bad press might prove to be more damaging than all of the previous scandals combined.
The trouble began when Rourke made the baffling decision to hurl homophobic slurs at his Celebrity Big Brother housemate Jojo Siwa.
Actor Mickey Rourke attends UFC on Fox: Live Heavyweight Championship at the Honda Center on November 12, 2011 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
At one point, Rourke rudely asked Siwa if she was attracted to “boys or girls.”
“Girls. My partner is non-binary,” responded Siwa, who is currently dating Australian influencer Kath Ebbs.
Rourke replied, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
“I can guarantee I’ll still be gay. And I’ll still be in a very happy relationship,” Siwa shot back, still trying to keep the conversation light.
Rourke continued to escalate, loudly declaring his intention to go smoke — and using British slang for a cigarette that doubles as an offensive anti-gay slur.
Actor Mickey Rourke poses in the press room at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 17, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Rourke then told costar Chris Hughes that he was “going to vote the lesbian out real quick.” Hughes, understandably, took offense to the remark and decried Rourke’s homophobia.
In the days since, many have spoken out against Rourke’s recent and previous misconduct.
One public figure who called him out was actress Bella Thorne, who worked with Rourke on the 2020 film Girl.
“This f–king dude. GROSS,” Thorne wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
“I had to work with this man – In a scene Where I’m on my knees with my hands zip tied around my back. He’s supposed to take a metal grinder to my knee cap and instead he used it on my genitals thru my jeans. Hitting them over and over again,” she continued.
“I had bruises on my pelvic bone – Working with Mickey was one of the all time worst experiences of my life working as an actress.”
Bella Thorne attends the amfAR New York Fashion Week Cocktail Party at The Mulberry on February 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for amfAR)
Thorne also recalled a separate incident in which Rourke covered her in dirt, seemingly for no reason.
“Idk I guess he thought it was funny to humiliate me in front of the entire crew,” she speculated.
Thorne also recalled “having to go into [Rourke’s] trailer absolutely alone … to convince him to show up and complete his job” when he “refused to speak to the director or producers.”
Otherwise, she explained, “everyone’s work would have just been lost and completely for nothing.”
Mickey Rourke engaging in problematic behavior and bullying his most vulnerable colleagues is not earth-shattering news, as he’s been doing this sort of thing for decades.
But the fact that he’s still doing this stuff at the age of 72 is more than a little depressing. Fortunately, the fact that young women are refusing to tolerate his BS is downright inspirational.
Mickey Rourke Faces Sexual Harassment Allegation From Bella Thorne After Hurling … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
Mikey Rourke has been stirring up controversy in Hollywood for over forty years.
But the actor’s latest string of bad press might prove to be more damaging than all of the previous scandals combined.
The trouble began when Rourke made the baffling decision to hurl homophobic slurs at his Celebrity Big Brother housemate Jojo Siwa.
Actor Mickey Rourke attends UFC on Fox: Live Heavyweight Championship at the Honda Center on November 12, 2011 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Mickey Rourke harasses Jojo Siwa on camera
At one point, Rourke rudely asked Siwa if she was attracted to “boys or girls.”
“Girls. My partner is non-binary,” responded Siwa, who is currently dating Australian influencer Kath Ebbs.
Rourke replied, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
“I can guarantee I’ll still be gay. And I’ll still be in a very happy relationship,” Siwa shot back, still trying to keep the conversation light.
Rourke continued to escalate, loudly declaring his intention to go smoke — and using British slang for a cigarette that doubles as an offensive anti-gay slur.
Actor Mickey Rourke poses in the press room at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 17, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Rourke then told costar Chris Hughes that he was “going to vote the lesbian out real quick.” Hughes, understandably, took offense to the remark and decried Rourke’s homophobia.
The backlash grows
In the days since, many have spoken out against Rourke’s recent and previous misconduct.
One public figure who called him out was actress Bella Thorne, who worked with Rourke on the 2020 film Girl.
“This f–king dude. GROSS,” Thorne wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
“I had to work with this man – In a scene Where I’m on my knees with my hands zip tied around my back. He’s supposed to take a metal grinder to my knee cap and instead he used it on my genitals thru my jeans. Hitting them over and over again,” she continued.
“I had bruises on my pelvic bone – Working with Mickey was one of the all time worst experiences of my life working as an actress.”
Bella Thorne attends the amfAR New York Fashion Week Cocktail Party at The Mulberry on February 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for amfAR)
Thorne also recalled a separate incident in which Rourke covered her in dirt, seemingly for no reason.
“Idk I guess he thought it was funny to humiliate me in front of the entire crew,” she speculated.
Thorne also recalled “having to go into [Rourke’s] trailer absolutely alone … to convince him to show up and complete his job” when he “refused to speak to the director or producers.”
Otherwise, she explained, “everyone’s work would have just been lost and completely for nothing.”
Mickey Rourke engaging in problematic behavior and bullying his most vulnerable colleagues is not earth-shattering news, as he’s been doing this sort of thing for decades.
But the fact that he’s still doing this stuff at the age of 72 is more than a little depressing. Fortunately, the fact that young women are refusing to tolerate his BS is downright inspirational.
Mickey Rourke Faces Sexual Harassment Allegation From Bella Thorne After Hurling … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.