- Bella Thorne called former costar Mickey Rourke “gross” and claimed he caused her “bruises on my pelvic bone” while filming a scene
- Rourke’s reps spoke out, calling the allegations “extremely serious” and saying he “adamantly denies any intentional misconduct”
- Rourke recently left Celebrity Big Brother UK after “inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior,” the reality show said
Mickey Rourke is denying the on-set misconduct allegations made by his former costar Bella Thorne.
During his recent stint on Celebrity Big Brother UK, the actor, 72, caused controversy with his behavior, including by making offensive remarks toward JoJo Siwa and other contestants.
In an April 12 statement, a spokesperson for the show confirmed Rourke ultimately “agreed to leave” the production after “further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior.”
While he was still on the reality show, Thorne, who made a 2020 movie called Girl with Rourke, reacted to his controversies and shared her own alleged experience with the actor, whom she called “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,” Thorne, 27, wrote on her Instagram Stories April 11. She further claimed: “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. I had bruises on my pelvic bone.”
The former Disney Channel star added, “Working with Mickey was one of the all time worst experiences of my life working as an actress.”
In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter and other outlets, reps for Rourke said, “We are aware of the deeply troubling statements made by Bella Thorne regarding her experience on set with Mr. Rourke during the production of a past film.”
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“These allegations are extremely serious. Mr. Rourke adamantly denies any intentional misconduct,” they added. “He has not been contacted previously with any claims of this nature and was unaware of any discomfort expressed by Ms. Thorne at the time.”
Rourke’s reps concluded, “Out of respect for all parties involved and in light of the gravity of the claims, Mr. Rourke will refrain from commenting further at this time. He is prepared to cooperate fully with any appropriate inquiry. We extend our support to all professionals who deserve to feel safe and respected in their workplace.”
In a post on X, Thorne made further claims about “so many gross stories of things he made me go thru on that movie.”
She alleged that one scene had Rourke “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.”
Thorne also claimed that she had to go to Rourke’s trailer “alone” to “beg” him to “show up and complete his job” when he “refused to speak to the director or producers.”
She did so “since the movie could not be finished without him,” she wrote. “Everyone’s work would’ve just been lost and completely for nothing. I didn’t wanna do it. I was uncomfortable, but I did what I was asked to do and what was best for the movie. Mickey should’ve never put anybody in that movie in any of those positions that he did.”
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Thorne wrote in another tweet that “how [Rourke] acted doesn’t negate the incredible hard work that everybody else put into that movie. Everyone worked HARD literal blood, sweat, and tears to make that vision and I’m really proud of everyone and the work that was done on that movie.”
Upon his exit from Celebrity Big Brother UK, Rourke apologized for his behavior on the show, in a clip shared online.
“I did wrong, I apologize,” he said. “You know, I stepped over the line, and I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. Because I lost my temper, and I’ve been trying to work on it my whole life. … I wish I would have had better self-control. I’m very sorry. I’m ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there.”
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