Mickey Rourke is reportedly looking to sue a U.K. TV station after being booted from Celebrity Big Brother only six days into the show.

Rourke, 72, was supposed to appear for three weeks on the reality TV show, but was taken off the program after six days following an alleged series of statements and actions deemed unacceptable by some viewers and TV company ITV.

Newsweek sought comment from ITV and Rourke on Thursday via email.

His early exit resulted in his agreed-upon fee dropping from a promised £500,000 to £50,000. Rourke’s manager, Kimberly Hines, told PEOPLE: “His legal team is currently pursuing the matter.”

Why It Matters

Rourke was removed from the program after it’s claimed he used “threatening and aggressive” and “inappropriate sexual language.” It’s also alleged he “grabbed” the show’s host and comments he made toward another contestant were branded “homophobic.”

Hines said the program “were fully aware of both his public persona and how it aligned with his Hollywood rebel image.”

What To Know

Rourke’s problems on the show started before he even entered the house, when he appeared to grab Celebrity Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu and pull her close to him on the opening night.

He then made several comments at his fellow housemate the dancer and influencer Jojo Siwa about her sexuality. Siwa came out in 2021 after achieving childhood fame on the program Dance Moms.

Rourke told 21-year-old Siwa she “wouldn’t be gay anymore” if she stayed in the house with him, and said behind her back that he was going to “vote the lesbian out real quick.” He then said he was going out to “smoke a f**,” looked at Siwa, and said, “I’m not talking to you.” The word he used is considered to be a homophobic slur, but it can also be used in the U.K. as a slang term for a cigarette.

Rourke’s problems on the show escalated after he made what producers called “inappropriate sexual” comments to 24-year-old Ella Rae Wise.

He’s said to have used “threatening and aggressive” language toward housemate Chris Hughes when Rourke accused Hughes of “eyeballing” him during a house game.

Rouke said to Hughes: “Don’t f***ing eyeball me. You c***.” When Hughes told him it was a joke, Rouke called him a “c***” again.

Following the argument, Rourke was called into the confessional booth by Big Brother, where he apologized for his actions and said he felt “ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there.”

Despite his apology, Big Brother said: “Big Brother considers your language and behavior today to be seriously unacceptable and as a result, Big Brother has no option but to ask you to leave the Big Brother house.”

Usually contestants leave Big Brother after being voted out by their fellow housemates. However, Rourke was removed by Big Brother himself, which is what led to this legal action.

His manager told PEOPLE that the production team was “publicly embarrassing him” by removing him from the show.

She said they booked him with the knowledge of his “explosive, controversial and attention-grabbing” persona, which is what he delivered “and more” to the program.

What People Are Saying

Kimberly Hines in a statement to PEOPLE: “In our discussions, Big Brother was made fully aware of Mickey Rourke’s background and lifestyle. Yet rather than handle it professionally, they took it too far—publicly embarrassing him and using his removal as a marketing tool. That’s not just unprofessional; it’s deeply disrespectful and damaging. To add insult to injury, Big Brother is now refusing to pay Mickey his full agreed-upon fee. His legal team is currently pursuing the matter.”

Mickey Rourke speaking to Big Brother in the confessional booth following his fight with Hughes: “Yes sir. I did wrong. I apologize. I’m sorry. I can’t take it back, you know, I stepped over the line. And I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. ‘Cause I lost my temper, and I’ve been trying to work on it my whole life and I wish I would have had better self-control and I’m very sorry.

“I’m ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there. Nobody got touched or hurt. Maybe some feelings got hurt or maybe others have feelings about others getting upset but, you know, I’m sorry about that.”

What Happens Next

It is unclear at this time what Rourke’s legal route will look like, as his suit is dependent on whether his contract had clauses about potential removal.