Mickey Rourke’s pal claims the CBB star, 72, is of a ‘different generation’ and isn’t ‘trying to offend gay people’ – before accusing JoJo Siwa, 21, of ‘overreacting’ amid homophobia row

Mickey Rourke’s pal has claimed the star is of a ‘different generation’ who isn’t ‘trying to offend gay people’ amid the furore around the homophobic comments he made towards JoJo Siwa.

Viewers were left agog when the Hollywood actor, 72, left lesbian dancer JoJo, 21, in tears after he called her a ‘f*g’ and insinuated he would be able to ‘make her straight’ during their time in the house. 

Mickey has come under fire from viewers and outraged celebrities alike, with calls for him to be removed from the house.

Meanwhile, JoJo’s partner Kath Ebbs has branded him a ‘pig’ and ‘dangerous’ as she hit out at the star in an angry tirade on social media.

However, leaping to his defence, Mickey’s longtime friend Kimberly Hines argued that ‘old school’ Mickey isn’t purposely trying to hurt or ‘offend’ anyone, but is merely not up to scratch with the ‘politically correct vocabulary’ used in 2025. 

Kimberly also accused the former Dance Moms star of ‘overreacting’ to Mickey’s comments made towards her, while also claiming that Mickey’s controversial actions were exactly the ‘drama’ they were ‘hoping for’ this series.

Speaking to The Sun, Kimberly said: ‘Mickey was a star from the 80s and 90s, and it’s now 2025 and there’s a politically correct vocabulary and a way people need to be. He, she, they. But Mickey just doesn’t know that new vocabulary. He’s old school. He’s 72. He’s not doing it to offend.

‘He’s not creepy. He’s not pervy. He’s not trying to offend gay people, lesbian people. For him, he doesn’t realize that now every word you say can and will be used against you. And that’s just the way this world works now.’

Despite JoJo being visibly upset by Mickey’s words before being comforted by Chris Hughes, Kimberly added: ‘I think JoJo is overreacting, and it’s obviously exactly what Big Brother were hoping for, right?’

She also took aim at show bosses, noting they ‘knew’ what they were doing in signing up the Hollywood bad boy, noting that show was getting the ‘reaction and publicity’ it was ‘hoping for’.   

In addition to his homophobic slur towards JoJo, Mickey was branded a ‘creep’ after fans were were left horrified when within minutes of his arrival, he was seen leering at host AJ Odudu, 37, who appeared visibly uncomfortable.

While he also faced accusations of ‘fat shaming’ fellow housemate Donna Preston.

Further standing up for her long-time pal, Kimberly noted that there was a ‘soft, beautiful side’ to Mickey that she wished people saw.

She went on to urge folks to recognise Mickey for his cinematic achievements as opposed to his ‘human flaws’, adding: ‘we all make mistakes’. 

Independent watchdog Ofcom has come under pressure to intervene with the ITV show after Mickey was issued a formal warning from Big Brother. 

Viewers claimed show bosses should have gone a step further and removed him from the house – calling on Ofcom to immediately step in. 

When Ofcom receives complaints it is assessed under the Broadcasting Code to see if it needs further investigation. 

Taking to X/Twitter, fans raged: ‘Ofcom complaint submitted. Mickey Rourke should be out of that house. Violence against women and girls is not a laughing matter, dinosaurs who believe they can turn homosexual women straight with rape belong in the stone ages & deserve no platform in today’s world. #CBBUK’; 

‘sorry a warning isn’t enough. telling a 21 year old he’ll tie her up? she won’t be gay anymore? all the language he used? he’s disgusting and should be removed straight away. #CBBUK #CBB’; ‘

‘this is??? insane?? can we not normalise this behaviour and pass it off as a ‘social experiment’ it’s so damaging to women and girls – so yes he should be removed from the show. by not removing him it’s passing off his comments as though they’re ok lol’. 

Meanwhile, JoJo Siwa’s partner Kath Ebbs branded Mickey a ‘pig’ and a ‘dangerous person’ following his outrageous homophobic slurs.

Kath, who identifies as non-binary and uses she/they pronouns, shared her outrage on Instagram following the episode and demanded Mickey is booted out of the show.

While she praised and thanked Chris Hughes for ‘backing’ her partner JoJo, she shared her outrage that he was the ‘only person’ in the house that was aired to pull Mickey up on his behaviour.

She said: ‘A lot of people want to know my thoughts on Mickey Rourke, or however the f*** you say his last name, on his comments towards my partner JoJo on Big Brother and quite frankly it is beyond disgusting and it’s literally taken me many hours to even process what the f*** I just watched.

‘Not only because that is the literal love of my life and I want to protect her at all costs and I feel so helpless that I cannot be there to not only comfort her but to also lose it at that f****** weasel of a man but secondly take the fact out that I have massive emotional stakes in the comments towards her.’

Discussing her sexuality, Mickey asked the influencer: ‘Do you like girls or boys?’ to which she replied: ‘Me? Girls. My partner is non-binary.’

Doubling down on his claims he would be able to change her sexuality, Mickey then insists: ‘If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.’

JoJo then replied: ‘I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.’

Later in the episode, which got 1.55million views, Mickey asked Chris if everyone had to vote one another out of the house, with the Wrestler star stating: ‘I’m going to vote the lesbian out real quick.’

JoJo overheard and hit back: ‘That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning’, as Chris defended her by interjecting: ‘You can’t do that Mickey’.

Undeterred, Mickey continued: ‘I need a fag’ before gesturing to JoJo and adding: ‘I’m not talking to you.’

Chris once again hits back saying, ‘Mickey, you can’t say that’, to which he replied: ‘I know. I was talking about a cigarette.’

Kath added: ‘It is also just rooted in misogyny and violence. I’ve seen people commenting about his homophobia but it is also his violent comments.

‘The five minute clip which was the whole conversation has so many different layers to it, it is crazy.

‘Firstly he asks her if she is into boys or girls, she answers that she is gay. He then proceeds to tell her that he is going to turn her straight if she is in the house long enough. She shuts it down.

‘Once she shuts it down she says he’s going to tie her up. That is a rape joke, that’s what that is, call it what is is.’

She adds: ‘She shuts him down over and over again, he then goes actually I’m going to get rid of you. Which is rooted in misogyny.

‘He deemed her unf****** in that moment and then went if the male gaze is not apart of this situation and I have no power over you sexually, which also no offence Mickey you look like a f****** foot so you don’t stand a chance with anyone anyway because your a f****** loser.

‘Then he’s like oh, well then, I’m going to bully you. If you are not going to play into my creepy jokes then okay I’m going to bully you and I don’t want you here and then he proceeds to call her a f****t’.

She added: ‘I do feel a little disappointed that that hasn’t been an added level to the conversation. 

‘Yes, I am glad that the production gave him a formal warning and told him he said he was homophobic but that is dangerous, dangerous language and obviously it is a TV show with cameras everywhere and security.

‘And obviously we saw the beautiful Chris Hughes which thank you Chris, thank you for doing my job, I was very upset and then when I saw him backing her, having her back and comforting her made me feel a little bit better especially because this sounds really f***** up because he is a cis [Cisgender] straight white man.

‘And they’re the kind of allies unfortunately I hate to say it that we need in situations like this to stand up to violent f****** misogynistic homophobic men. 

‘So obviously I do feel like she is safe because of the environment of the TV show but I am a little bit disappointed that it wasn’t further called.

‘I would genuinely be so disappointed if the public doesn’t vote Mickey out. I don’t give a f*** if you think he is entertaining, I don’t give a f***. 

‘He’s a pig and he is a dangerous person. I wouldn’t want to be alone in a room with him and I wouldn’t want f****** anyone to be alone in a room with him.’

While JoJo was left visibly upset by the exchanged as Chris comforted her, Mickey was then called to the Diary Room and issued a warning.

Big Brother told: ‘Mickey before you entered the Big Brother house the rules regarding unacceptable language and behaviour were explained to you.’

He then read back the entire exchange to Mickey, adding: ‘Mickey, do you understand how this language could be offensive to your Housemates or the viewing public?’

Mickey replied: ‘Yeah I think so. If I was saying it in a nasty kind of way or if I truly meant it.’

Big Brother continued: ‘Mickey, Big Brother thinks your language was offensive and unacceptable.’

‘Alright. I can understand that,’ Mickey agreed.

Big Brother then issued the star with a formal warning and explained: ‘Further language or behaviour of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house. Mickey, do you understand?’

Mickey added: ‘Yes I do. It’s some serious stuff.’

Prompted by Big Brother he finally said sorry as he confessed: ‘I apologise. I don’t have dishonourable intentions – I’m just talking smack you know.

‘I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean in it any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.’