In the United Kingdom, a new season of Celebrity Big Brother is underway, with Mickey Rourke emerging as one of the show’s most controversial figures.
The actor has come under fire for homophobic comments made on the reality show, but now faces additional and more serious allegations.
American actress and singer Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne Speaks Out Against Mickey Rourke
Amid the growing controversy surrounding his participation in the British edition of Celebrity Big Brother, actor Mickey Rourke is now at the center of new accusations involving his past behavior.
Bella Thorne, who co-starred with Rourke in the 2020 thriller Girl, has publicly alleged that the 72-year-old actor engaged in abusive and disturbing conduct during the film’s production.
Thorne, 27, took to social media to share her experiences, describing incidents that she says deeply affected her time working with Rourke.
In one account, she described a scene in which her character was kneeling with her hands bound while Rourke's character was supposed to simulate hitting her leg with a metal sander.
One of Bella Thorne's X posts
However, Thorne claims that Rourke repeatedly struck her pelvic area—over her clothing—causing bruises and leaving her emotionally shaken. “One of the all-time worst experiences of my life working as an actress,” Thorne wrote.
In addition to the physical incident, she described other episodes of humiliation and mistreatment, including moments when Rourke allegedly made unreasonable demands and refused to continue filming unless Thorne came alone to his trailer to convince him to finish his scenes.
According to Thorne, the actor refused to communicate with the director or producers and regularly issued unusual demands during filming.
Mickey Rourke
Rourke’s Team Denies Allegations While He Remains in Isolation
While Thorne shared her testimony, Rourke remains isolated inside the Celebrity Big Brother house, with no access to media or social platforms.
However, his representation responded to the allegations in a statement sent to Variety, firmly denying any wrongdoing.
“These allegations are extremely serious. Mr. Rourke categorically denies any intentional misconduct. He was not made aware of any concerns during the filming and was unaware of Ms. Thorne’s discomfort until now,” the statement said.
His agent added that, given the sensitivity of the matter, Rourke will not be issuing further public statements but remains willing to cooperate with any investigation that may be initiated.
“We reaffirm every artist’s right to feel safe and respected in their working environment,” the statement concluded.
Girl, the film in which both actors appeared, tells the story of a young woman who returns to her hometown to take revenge on her abusive father—portrayed by Thorne—while Rourke plays the local sheriff. In a follow-up message, Thorne clarified that the actor’s conduct should not reflect on the rest of the production team:
“Fuck Mickey. His behavior doesn’t erase the enormous effort and dedication of the rest of the cast and crew. I’m very proud of the work we did.”
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One of Bella Thorne's X posts
One of Bella Thorne's X posts