Mickey Rourke Expresses Regret Over His Actions on Celebrity Big Brother UK
Mickey Rourke expressed that he feels “ashamed” about his contentious actions on Celebrity Big Brother UK.
The Oscar-nominated star, aged 72, was asked to exit the Big Brother house on Saturday, April 12, after a heated verbal clash with fellow contestant Chris Hughes. Footage that was broadcast on ITV in the U.K. on Sunday, April 13, revealed that Big Brother informed Rourke his conduct and language were deemed “offensive and threatening.”
Rourke admitted, “I did wrong. I apologize. I’m sorry.”
“I crossed the line. I take full responsibility for my actions,” he added. “I lost my temper, and I’ve been trying to manage that throughout my life. I wish I had exercised better self-control. I’m very sorry. I feel ashamed of myself for losing it for those few seconds.”
During a shopping challenge, Rourke had a fiery exchange with former Love Island UK contestant Hughes, saying, “Don’t f****** eyeball me, c***.”
“Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening after a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior,” a spokesperson for Celebrity Big Brother informed Us Weekly on Saturday.
In the “diary room,” Rourke stated, “I blame myself. I know it was my fault. I have a short fuse, and I realize I upset many people out there. I apologize for that.”
“I’m embarrassed about getting so heated,” the Wrestler actor remarked. “I crossed the line. I did wrong. I suppose I can say I’m a work in progress.”
In addition to the incident with Hughes, Rourke received a formal warning in Big Brother’s “diary room” for breaching “rules regarding unacceptable language.” He offended fellow contestant JoJo Siwa by saying that if he remained in the house “longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
“I can guarantee I’ll still be gay,” Siwa, 21, retorted, “And I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
Siwa then overheard Rourke telling Hughes that he planned to “vote the lesbian out real quick,” which prompted the Dance Moms alum to respond, “That’s homophobic if that was your reasoning.”
In the “diary room,” Rourke was informed that his “language was offensive and unacceptable” and was cautioned that further incidents could lead to his removal from the Big Brother house.
Rourke eventually extended an apology to Siwa, saying, “I have a tendency to get heated. I don’t intend any harm. I genuinely mean it [sorry]. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t say it to you.”
In light of the situation, the actor’s representative Kimberly Hines conveyed to Us that Rourke “speaks from the heart and means well. He is old school, straightforward, and honest. I have worked closely with him for nine years, and he is 100 percent authentically himself. There will never be another Mickey Rourke. Period.”
