Mickey Rourke’s crude comments about “Celebrity Big Brother” housemate JoJo Siwa have put him at risk of being booted from the show.
The American actor was put on notice after lobbing several homophobic remarks at former Nickelodeon sensation Siwa, who famously broke from her hyper-girly persona when she came out as queer at age 17.
In a clip posted to the “Big Brother” U.K. TikTok, Rourke, 72, can be heard awkwardly talking to Siwa, 21, about her sexuality as they made their way to the backyard to join several other housemates.
After the “Dance Moms” alum told Rourke she was attracted to “girls” and was currently dating a nonbinary person, he joked, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
Laughing off the Oscar-nominee’s creepy comment, Siwa said, “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay, and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
Out of nowhere, Rourke then told the former child star he’d “tie her up.”
Though Siwa tried to deflect the comment, cameras showed her with her hands to her head looking shocked.
While chatting with “Love Island” star Chris Hughes outside, Rourke cheerfully remarked he was “going to vote the lesbian out real quick” as Siwa lounged on a nearby chair, still within earshot.
“That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning,” she tutted back.
Shortly after, the star of “The Wrestler” tried to make his housemates laugh with an obscene double entendre aimed at Siwa, using a word that means “cigarette” in the UK but is more commonly used as an anti-gay slur in the U.S.
Announcing his smoke break, he told everyone, “I need a fag” before motioning towards the “Karma” singer and rudely adding, “I’m not talking to you.”
Siwa visibly cringed and shook her head as Hughes repeatedly tried to remind Rourke, “You can’t say that.”
Though Siwa tried not to flinch at Rourke’s comments, she broke down in tears in Hughes’ arms once her bully wandered away to the “Diary Room,” where he was confronted by producers about his “offensive and unacceptable” comments, according to transcripts reviewed by BBC.
BBC reported that once inside the confessional room, Rourke was warned, “Further language or behavior of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house.”
Rourke reportedly apologized to the crew, maintaining, “I don’t have dishonorable intentions. I’m just talking smack, you know. I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.”
After being rebuked behind closed doors, the TikTok clip showed him trying to made amends with Siwa, as he told her, “I want to apologize. I’ve got a bad habit of having a short fuse. I don’t mean nothing by it.”
Appearing to bury the hatchet, Siwa accepted his explanation then reached out and shook his hand.
A spokesperson for ITV, which airs “Celebrity Big Brother,” told Variety that the show takes extensive measures to make sure housemates act appropriately with each other.
“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 behavior and language,” the network said. “Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and instances of inappropriate behavior are dealt with appropriately and timely.”
Representatives for Rourke did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
