Former professional boxer and American actor Mickey Rourke recently became the center of controversy after presenter AJ Odudu called him out during the Celebrity Big Brother launch on April 7, 2025.
The former boxer's behavior toward Odudu sparked a controversy resulting in Rourke getting a lot of backlash, especially in terms of the way he treats women. While he isn't currently married, Mickey Rourke was married twice previously and both his marriages ended in separation.
Before entering the Celebrity Big Brother house, Rourke twirled presenter AJ Odudu and pulled her close while openly staring at her backside. Uncomfortable, Odudu asked him to stop. Even after the interview ended, Rourke stayed on stage, continuing to stare at her and saying, "I wanna stay with you."
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It was during the aftershow called Late & Live that AJ Odudu reflected on her on-stage encounter with Mickey Rourke after comedian Alan Carr asked her about the former boxer's behavior. Alan Carr added that Rourke's "tongue was hanging out" when he looked at her. Commenting on the same, Odudu said:
“It literally was. I was like, “You can’t afford these feathers, Mickey, no!’"
In addition to the backlash, fans of the show demanded that Rourke be evicted. As for his previous marriages, the actor married actress Debra Feuer in 1981, and the two first met on the set of the TV movie Hardcase the same year they tied the knot. However, they separated in 1989.
Rourke married model Carré Otis in 1992, and the actor was arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse in 1994. While the charges were dropped and the duo reconciled, they split in 1998.
Traumatic childhood, previous partners, and other details about Mickey Rourke's personal life explored
Mickey Rourke was born in Schenectady, New York, on September 16, 1952. The former boxer and actor worked his way to popularity, however, he had a violent step-father who made his life miserable. Rourke's parents separated when he was 5 post which his mother remarried and moved to Miami.
During an interview with The Guardian dated November 2008, the actor denied being in contact with his mother, stating:
"I was angry with her for my whole life for what she did. Because she turned her back to it and she was supposed to be responsible for me and Joe [his brother]. She didn't. She let it happen. And it happened for a decade."
However, the actor added that he did talk to his mother sometimes until his brother died. He mentioned his mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis, stating that he was okay with her because she didn't remember what had happened.
As for his relationships that didn't end in marriage, Mickey Rourke got into a relationship with model Anastassija Makarenko in 2009, and the duo split in 2015 after dating for 6 years. Additionally, the former boxer has dated Sasha Volkova and Terry Farrell. Rourke also declared his single status for the past 7 years in a 2022 interview with Piers Morgan.
The recent instance is not the first time Rourke's statement has made headlines. In his 2022 interview with Piers Morgan, the actor claimed to be visited by the U.S. Secret Service for his poor comments against Donald Trump.
