MICKEY Rourke is set to take “legal action” against ITV over his pay cheque being slashed after being booted off the show.
The Hollywood actor, 72, was removed from the house on Saturday after he got into an altercation with Love Island’s Chris Hughes.
Mickey was the highest earing celebrity this series, with a £500,000 pay cheque.
But after being kicked off the fly-on-the-wall show, The Sun revealed that his fee has been slashed and he won’t be paid the full amount.
And now Mickey’s rep Kimberly Hines has said his team is currently speaking with lawyers in the UK and are “weighing a lawsuit against ITV, the company that produces the show”, reports TMZ.
Mickey is said to believe that he is entitled to the full fee, despite being chucked off for inappropriate behaviour.
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Kimberly said Mickey is being “unjustly” denied his big payday,
They also believe he was “deliberately removed just one day before he would become contractually eligible to receive a lot more money”.
To make matters worse, his rep claims that Mickey has been hit with further deductions to his fee.
ITV informed them that they’d only cover hotel rooms up to around £230 per night.
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But Mickey booked his team into a swanky London hotel which has cost a total of £50k, and he now has to foot the bill.
She told the publication that Mickey was “sent to the airport with barely a ride”.
Kimberly also added that producers were aware of what they were getting, knowing that Mickey is a loose cannon.
Mickey is said to be keen to put the whole fiasco behind him and move forward with his career – but his team insist ITV need to pay up.
ITV have been contacted for comment.
A source said ITV would be revising his pay cheque now he has been removed from the house following a heated exchange with Chris.
A source said: “Mickey won’t be receiving all his money from ITV.
“If a celebrity gets removed from the house, they don’t get the full fee. It’s as simple as that and they will be discussing that with him.
“Mickey was ready to leave the house and it ended up feeling like a mutual decision between him and ITV in the end. It was getting too much.”
The Sun On Sunday revealed Mickey, 72, had been repeatedly warned about his behaviour by Celebrity Big Brother bosses in scenes that weren’t aired.
Hours before his shock exit, a source said: “Some of them had hoped he’d be booted out in the first eviction because there is only so much they can do to protect him.
“He has been called into the Diary Room on multiple occasions because of his language or his behaviour.
“None of this has been shown on camera because it would end up like The Mickey Rourke Show.”
Mickey, who won a Bafta and was Oscar-nominated for 2008 film The Wrestler, first fell foul of his fellow housemates when he directed offensive slurs at US singer JoJo Siwa, who is a lesbian.
The insider added: “The production team are concerned Mickey is going to push it too far. He’s completely off the scale in the house and he’s not calming down.
“Mickey has also been threatening to break down the fire door to get out. They’re at their wits’ end with his antics.”
ITV issued a statement when Mickey was removed and said: “Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour.”
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KICKED OUT
Mickey survived the first eviction of the series on Friday night, which saw Tory MP Michael Fabricant leave the house.
Fans are now demanding ITV producers show exactly why Mickey was booted off the show when the series returns on Sunday night.
A show insider told The Sun: “Mickey was never going to last the distance, but no one expected him to leave quite so soon and certainly not under these circumstances.
“He clearly decided it wasn’t for him. Everyone’s been left shocked.”
The actor’s time on the reality show was marred by awkward moments and he was slammed by his fellow housemates before his exit.
On day three he was seen asking fellow American celeb JoJo Siwa: “Where’s the smoke room? Where’s the cigarette room?”
Mickey then asked the 21-year-old influencer: “Do you like girls or boys?” prompting her to explain: “Me? Girls. My partner is non-binary.”
The actor then said: “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
Shortly after that exchange, Mickey said: “I need a fag,” then gestured at JoJo saying “I’m not talking to you.”
JoJo was then seen crying as Love Island star Chris comforted her in the bedroom.
Mickey was also overheard saying in the garden that he’d “vote the lesbian out real quick” a remark fellow housemates branded “homophobic.”
The Iron Man 2 star was hauled into the Diary Room where he was reprimanded by show bosses.
Big Brother issued him a formal warning for “offensive and unacceptable” language.
At the time, suspicious fans then claimed Mickey was deliberately flaunting show rules in order to be booted off – and scoot away with his fee.
Michael Fabricant – who was evicted on Friday – then suggested the American had “wanted to leave since day one.”
In turn, viewers have now demanded the former Tory MP – who lost his seat in 2024 – return to the compound.
‘OFFENSIVE AND UNACCEPTABLE’
Mickey apologised for his words towards JoJo and said he was “just talking smack” and “didn’t mean it with bad intentions”.
Later, the ageing American actor said he “got chewed out” in the Diary Room and admitted to the group: “I didn’t say it out of meanness.”
Housemates tried to help him understand the impact of his words, with Drag Race star Danny Beard offering support while encouraging Mickey to see things “from another point of view.”
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But, that wasn’t the last controversy sparked by the 72-year-old’s behaviour.
On Friday night’s show EastEnders star Patsy Palmer broke down in tears in the diary room after Mickey complained about her cooking.
