Bella Thorne alleges misconduct by Mickey Rourke on the Girl set, igniting discussions on power dynamics and accountability in Hollywood.
Mickey Rourke, once the brooding, electric heartthrob of Hollywood, a man who clawed his way back to acclaim with his bruised and battered turn in The Wrestler, has stumbled into yet another maelstrom of his own making. The latest blow comes from actress Bella Thorne, who has leveled a chilling accusation against Rourke, alleging misconduct during the filming of their 2020 indie thriller Girl. It’s a story that doesn’t just shock—it demands we peel back the layers of an industry still wrestling with its uglier impulses.
In a raw series of Instagram story, Thorne didn’t mince words. She claims Rourke bruised her genitals with a metal grinder on set, an act she describes as “one of the all-time worst” experiences of her career. Beyond the physical toll, Thorne alleges Rourke humiliated her, turning what should have been a creative collaboration into a nightmare of abuse. These are not vague whispers or tabloid fodder—they’re specific, visceral charges that cut to the bone.
So.. yeah. Ew. pic.twitter.com/yv8fequR02
— BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) April 11, 2025
The timing couldn’t be more damning. Rourke’s outburst comes fresh off his stint on Celebrity Big Brother UK, where he was called out for hurling homophobic slurs at contestant JoJo Siwa. It’s not an isolated slip but a pattern, a neon sign flashing questions about who Rourke has become—or perhaps always was—beneath the battered charisma that once defined him. The man who mesmerized us in 9½ Weeks and Angel Heart now seems more a cautionary tale than a comeback king.
Thorne’s allegations, if substantiated, cast a harsh spotlight on the power dynamics that still fester on film sets. Here’s a young actress, barely past her teens when Girl was shot, allegedly subjected to treatment that no one—let alone a performer—should endure. It’s a grim echo of the #MeToo reckoning that shook Hollywood years ago, a reminder that progress is not a straight line. The industry has made strides—codes of conduct, intimacy coordinators, louder voices—but stories like this suggest the roots of abuse run deep, tangled in the egos and hierarchies that filmmaking can breed.
So many gross stories of things he made me go thru on that movie, including in his last scene to speed up and rev his engine so he could cover me completely in dirt. Idk I guess he thought it was funny to humiliate me in front of the entire crew. Having to go in his trailer…
— BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) April 11, 2025
What makes this tale sting even more is the contrast: Rourke, the grizzled veteran with a storied past, and Thorne, a former Disney star turned provocateur, trying to carve her own path. Their clash on Girl—a film few remember beyond its controversy—feels like a microcosm of Hollywood’s broader struggle: the old guard versus the new, power versus vulnerability, silence versus speaking out. Thorne’s decision to go public isn’t just a personal catharsis; it’s a flare fired into the night, daring us to look.
And look we must. Hollywood loves its redemption arcs, but it’s equally adept at papering over its sins with glitz and distraction. Rourke’s camp has yet to respond—silence, for now, is their play—but the accusations hang heavy, demanding a reckoning. This isn’t about cancel culture or piling on; it’s about accountability, about ensuring that the next Bella Thorne doesn’t have to weigh her safety against her career. The silver screen may dazzle, but its shadows can wound, and stories like this are a call to drag those shadows into the light.
Also side note : like fuck Mickey – how he acted doesn’t negate the incredible hard work that everybody else put into that movie. Everyone worked HARD literal blood, sweat, and tears to make that vision and I’m really proud of everyone and the work that was done on that movie.
— BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) April 11, 2025
As the industry lurches forward, still bruised from its own demons, Thorne’s voice joins a chorus that refuses to fade. It’s a messy, imperfect fight—one Rourke’s legacy may not survive unscathed—but it’s a necessary one. Only by facing these truths head-on can Hollywood hope to become a place where talent thrives, not just survives. For now, we watch, we listen, and we wait for the next frame to drop.
