Mickey Rourke's team has confirmed they are pursuing legal action following his exit from Celebrity Big Brother.
The 72-year-old was removed from the U.K.'s Celebrity Big Brother house on Saturday for "unacceptable behaviour" and "inappropriate language".
Now, following his early departure, Mickey's team have confirmed that they are taking legal action against the reality show over an alleged pay dispute, after it was reported that Mickey will be paid 10% of his alleged £500,000 ($660,000) fee.
In a new statement to People, The Wrestler actor's manager Kimberly Hines claimed the show disrespected him by "publicly embarrassing" him.
"There's no question that when Big Brother booked Mickey Rourke, they were fully aware of both his public persona and how it aligned with his Hollywood rebel image," Hines said in the statement, adding that ITV knew about his "explosive, controversial" nature.
"In our discussions, Big Brother was made fully aware of Mickey Rourke's background and lifestyle," the statement continued. "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."
Hines also alleged that Big Brother was "refusing" to pay Mickey's full fee, adding that the show's use of the actor's image and name was an "insult to a true cinematic icon".
Mickey sparked outrage on a number of occasions during his time on the show, including when he made a series of homophobic comments about fellow contestant JoJo Siwa, 21.
The actor also made a sexualised joke to 24-year-old reality star Ella Rae Wise and threatened former Love Island star Chris Hughes during a challenge.
After being informed he was being kicked out, Mickey apologised for his behaviour, saying, "I blame myself. I know it was my bad, you know, I've got a short fuse. I know I upset a lot of people out there. I'm sorry for that. I'm actually ashamed of myself for getting that hot. I went over the line, you know, I did wrong. I guess I could say I'm a work in progress."
