Bella Thorne has publicly accused actor Mickey Rourke of disturbing on-set behavior.
The 72-year-old actor and former professional boxer has faced mounting criticism for making homophobic and misogynistic remarks toward fellow housemate JoJo Siwa on Celebrity Big Brother UK.
During a recent episode, Rourke reportedly told the 21-year-old social media star that he could “turn her straight,” before adding he “needs a f**,” a slur for cigarettes, and pointed at Siwa saying, “I’m not talking to you.” He later stated he would “vote the lesbian out.”
The fallout was swift, with Siwa’s partner Kath Ebbs, who is non-binary, slamming Rourke’s comments in an emotional Instagram video. Calling the behavior “beyond disgusting,” Ebbs described the language used as “dangerous.”
“Firstly, he asks her if she is into boys or girls, she answers that she is gay. He then proceeds to tell her that he is going to turn her straight if she is in the house long enough. She shuts it down,” they explained. “Once she shuts it down, he says he's going to tie her up. That is a rape joke, that's what that is, call it what it is.”
Ebbs added: “He deemed her unf***able in that moment and then went if the male gaze is not a part of this situation and I have no power over you sexually… then he's like, ‘oh, well then, I'm going to bully you…’"
“I would genuinely be so disappointed if the public doesn't vote Mickey out. I don't give a f*** if you think he is entertaining,” they concluded.
Thorne, who is best known for starring in Disney Channel's Shake It Up series, addressed Rourke’s behavior both on Big Brother and during their past work together in a post shared to her Instagram Story.
The 27-year-old revealed that she co-starred with Rourke in the 2020 film Girl, and wrote in the caption: “This f***ing dude. GROSS. 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 kneecap, and instead he used it on my genitals thru my jeans. Hitting them over and over again," she said, adding that the incident left her with “bruises on [her] pelvic bone.”
She continued her allegations on X (formerly Twitter), claiming The Wrestler actor also humiliated her during filming.
“So many gross stories of things he made me go thru on that movie, including in his last scene to speed up and rev his engine so he could cover me completely in dirt. Idk I guess he thought it was funny to humiliate me in front of the entire crew,” she penned.
Thorne also claimed she was forced to enter Rourke’s trailer alone because he refused to speak to anyone else on set. "Having to go in his trailer absolutely alone because he refused to speak to the director or producers - so I had to convince him to show up and complete his job, as he shouted crazy demands that he wanted from the producers," she added.
A spokesperson for Rourke responded to the actress' claims in a statement to Variety, saying: “These allegations are extremely serious. Mr. Rourke adamantly denies any intentional misconduct. He was not made aware of any such concerns during filming and had no prior knowledge of Ms. Thorne’s discomfort until now.”
The statement continued: “Out of respect for all parties and given the gravity of the claims, Mr. Rourke will not be making further public comment at this time. He remains willing to cooperate with any appropriate inquiry through the proper channels. We affirm the right of every performer to feel safe and respected in their work environment.”
Despite his comments airing on television, Rourke was not removed from the Celebrity Big Brother house. A spokesperson for the show confirmed that he was issued a formal warning for his behavior.
“All Housemates receive Respect and Inclusion training and an extensive briefing from the Big Brother Senior team to prepare them for living in the House and to set out Big Brother’s expectation for appropriate behaviour and language,” they said, per The Independent.
The actor apologized to Siwa multiple times, blaming his outburst on a “short fuse.” Siwa told him she appreciated the apology.