JoJo Siwa is currently a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in the UK, alongside actor Mickey Rourke. The pair made headlines this week due to Rourke’s homophobic harassment of Siwa, which prompted a “formal warning” from the show.
JoJo Siwa Faces Harassment on Celebrity Big Brother
In a clip from a recent episode of the show, Rourke can be heard asking Siwa whether she likes girls or boys. When she replies that she likes girls, Rourke tells her, “I know. I could tell.” Siwa then informs him that her current partner Kath Ebbs is non-binary.
Shortly after that, Rourke tells Siwa, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.” When Siwa tells him she “will still be gay and will still be in a very happy relationship,” he replies, “I’ll tie you up.”
A little later, Rourke says he’s going to “vote the lesbian out real quick.” Siwa calls the comment “homophobic.” Rourke then uses a homophobic slur. After being called out for the comment, he walks away. Siwa’s co-star Chris Hughes talks to her about the situation, and she starts crying.
Rourke was reportedly called into the show’s diary room and told, “Mickey, Big Brother thinks your language was offensive and unacceptable. As a result, Big Brother is giving you a formal warning.” Rourke later apologized to Siwa, which she said she appreciated.
Siwa’s partner Kath Ebbs reacted to Rourke’s behavior on social media, saying Rourke’s comment about tying Siwa up is a “rape joke.” Ebbs also argued that Rourke’s comment that he’ll “vote the lesbian out” is “rooted in misogyny.”
“It makes me feel sick to my stomach,” Ebbs said of Rourke’s interaction with Siwa. “That is dangerous, dangerous language. I would not want to be alone in a room with him. I wouldn’t want anyone to be alone in a room with him.”
Ebbs went on to tell Rourke that he “revealed the way you really think about women.” They argued that the only reason he apologized to Siwa was because he got called out. On Instagram stories, Ebbs called Rourke’s behavior “beyond disgusting.”
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
