Mickey Rourke's Biggest Controversies: From His 'Celebrity Big Brother UK' Exit to Spousal Abuse and More

During a 1989 news conference to promote his film Francesco, Mickey Rourke confirmed he donated most of his earnings from the project to Joe Doherty, a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member who was arrested and imprisoned after the killing of Herbert Westmacott in the 1980s.

"Yes I have, to causes in Northern Ireland. Yes, to Joe Doherty, who is a prisoner in New York City," he said at the time, per the Los Angeles Times.

After attracting criticism, Rourke issued a statement through a spokesman, clarifying he had "only been involved in humanitarian aid in Northern Ireland, never with the Irish Republican Army."

"If people in England choose to use this as a platform to persecute me as an Irish Catholic American, then that is their indulgence," he said.

In 1994, the Iron Man 2 actor was arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse after he allegedly slapped and kicked his then-estranged wife, Carré Otis, during a fight in July of the same year at his office in Hollywood.

While Rourke pleaded not guilty to one count of , the case was later dropped after the supermodel failed to appear in court twice. They ended their marriage with a divorce in 1998.

Years after their split, the supermodel released her book Beauty Disrupted: A Memoir, in which she revealed she was shot by Rourke's handgun after the Heaven's Gate actor hid it inside her handbag without letting her know.

In 2011, Otis told Anderson Cooper her ex-husband threatened her multiple times throughout their relationship, including during their honeymoon.

"It wasn't the first time, but I had said to him, 'I don't want you going out,'" she said, per RadarOnline.com. "He put a gun to my head and told me he was going out."

Rourke was cuffed again in 2007 on suspicion of driving under the influence and booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail.

According to a Miami Beach Police report, the Sin City actor made a U-turn and swerved several times while driving his green scooter. It noted Rourke had a flushed face, watery eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath when he was stopped in the city's South Beach entertainment district.

It also said Rourke's speech was slurred when the arresting officer talked to him.

He was released on a $1,000 bond.

Rourke found himself in hot water again following a 2014 Fox News interview, during which he called Vladimir Putin "a man of empathy" amid the war in Ukraine.

"He took us to a very famous museum in St. Petersburg. And then later he took me to a children's cancer hospital. And we went in there and visited the really, really sick, little, tiny, tiny kids," said Rourke. "I looked over at him and I saw him and, nobody's going to want to hear this, but I saw a man with empathy and who was really moved by what these children are going through."

A few years later, the Immortals actor appeared on TalkTV and revealed his impression of the Russian leader had changed.

During an interview before entering the Celebrity Big Brother U.K. house on April 7, Rourke was lambasted for his inappropriate and "creepy" behavior toward AJ Odudu.

As he stared at the female host's backside while being overly handsy with her, Odudu told him, "Stop looking at me!"

When Rourke was told to enter the house, he told Odudu, "I wanna stay with you."

His statement prompted Odudu's co-host, Will Best, to warn him, saying, "Careful, Mickey."

Rourke continued to make headlines after officially entering the Celebrity Big Brother U.K. house.

On the April 9 episode, the Rumble Fish actor made inappropriate comments toward JoJo Siwa and her sexuality. He claimed the "Guilty Pleasure" singer "will not be g-- anymore" if he stays longer than four days on the TV show.

"I can guarantee I'll still be g-- and I'll still be in a very happy relationship," the "Karma" singer responded.

He dropped offensive comments again when he said he would "tie" up Siwa. He also claimed he wanted to "vote the l------ real quick" while discussing the voting process.

Rourke was then asked to exit the show due to "further use of inappropriate language" and "instances of unacceptable behavior" toward his fellow housemate Chris Hughes.

After Rourke's controversial exit from Celebrity Big Brother U.K., Bella Thorne took to her Instagram Stories to share the on-set misconduct she endured while she was working with him on the set of the 2020 thriller Girl.

"This f------ dude. GROSS," she said of Rourke. "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 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."

Thorne then called her former costar "one of the all-time worst experiences of my life working as an actress."

In a separate post on X, the Famous in Love alum shared more details on her experience, alleging Rourke subjected her to "so many gross stories of things" while working on the film.

Per Thorne, she was left "completely in dirt" after Rourke sped up and revved his engine in his last scene. She also had to talk to his costar and convince him to finish his job after he refused to speak to the director and producers.

Thorne continued, "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."

In response to the Shake It Up alum's allegations, a representative for Rourke said The Expendables actor "adamantly denies any intentional misconduct."

The statement to Variety continued, "He was not made aware of any such concerns during filming and had no prior knowledge of Ms. Thorne's discomfort until now. 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."

The representative concluded the message by noting they "affirm the right of every performer to feel safe and respected in their work environment."