Mickey Rourke as Johnny speaking on a cell phone in The Commando

Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke is reportedly planning to sue Celebrity Big Brother bosses following his removal from the U.K. version of the reality TV series. His six-day stint on the show came to an abrupt end after his behavior during a heated verbal altercation with fellow housemate and Love Island star Chris Hughes was deemed “unacceptable.” The decision was made for Rourke to have his appearance on the series cut short because he did not adhere to the rules set out before entering the house, but the 72-year-old actor is now said to be exploring legal action.

According to TMZ, Rourke is eyeing a lawsuit against ITV, the studio behind Celebrity Big Brother, after being “unjustly denied a major payday.” The actor was rumored to be receiving a fee of £500,000 for his appearance, making him the highest-paid CBB contestant on this year’s show, but he is now expected to walk away with £50,000 as his earnings were drastically reduced after his early exit from the series. It is claimed that producers purposely booted him out one day before he would have been contractually entitled to receive a larger pay packet.

The reduction of Rourke’s six-figure sum isn’t the only gripe, as Kimberly Hines, who represents the actor, said he and his team were promised five-star accommodation in London before entering the Celebrity Big Brother house, but producers only informed them after they had made reservations at a luxury location that the top-end of the budget to cover hotel rooms was $300 per night. This clarification has allegedly left Rourke with a $50,000 bill to pay, which means almost all of his appearance fee will be swallowed up in settling the costs of their stay.

Mickey Rourke Had a String of Controversies

Mickey Rourke as Earl Atherton in Section Eight Rourke’s row with Hughes was not the only controversy that he was embroiled in during his tumultuous time in the Celebrity Big Brother house. The actor previously came under fire for homophobic remarks he made towards Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa. The incident led to a formal warning from the show’s production team, but he later went on to use “inappropriate sexual language” when speaking to housemate Ella Rae Wise. A statement released by ITV on Apr. 12 confirmed that Rourke and the showrunners had agreed to part ways:

“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 behavior.”

Hines has rebuffed the statement, claiming Rourke did not agree to leave the show and that the studio made a strategic move to “not have to fulfil their financial obligations.” She also added, in Rourke’s defense, that the producers were aware he was a “verbal loose cannon” when signing him up for the programme – which he reportedly agreed to take part in to improve his financial difficulties – and that they used him to stir up drama on the series before “sending him out with barely a ride to the airport.”

Rourke has yet to comment on the matter, but apparently wants to focus on making quality films, having been involved in many lower-budget projects in recent years. One of which became a surprising streaming success despite its 0% Rotten Tomatoes score.