Jackass: Best and Last is now in theaters and while Bam Margera appears in the film, there’s still a bit of estrangement between the stunt artist and the Jackass crew, which Steve-O addressed during a recent appearance on the TMZ TV Podcast.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that there would be a fifth and final Jackass movie and, soon after, Bam Margera revealed that he would be part of the film, albeit utilizing old footage from a stunt he did years ago. Margera had been ousted from the fourth film in the franchise after a contract violation related to his sobriety and that led to legal action with some harsh feelings between the beloved Jackass stuntman and some of the other cast and crew.
There had been hope that with Margera being back in a healthier place that some of the old wounds of being left out of the previous film would mend, but back in January Margera spoke with TMZ about his reluctance to have any further association outside of allowing the old footage to be used.
What Steve-O Said About Bam Margera’s Relationship to the Jackass Franchise
Steve-O, one of the fellow stunt actors and a longtime member of the Jackass crew, appeared on the TMZ TV Podcast to speak about the film. In the midst of the discussion, he was asked about Bam Margera.
“It was wonderful that he agreed to be featured in this at all,” shared Steve-O. “It’s wonderful that he’s evidently in such a good place, so clear and healthy. It was so wonderful to see his parents last night for them to be there [at the Jackass: Best and Last premiere]. But that’s what we got. All we can do is root for him and we never didn’t love him. We never didn’t love him.”
While Margera’s parents, Phil and April, were in attendance, Bam himself did not attend the premiere for the film while retaining his distance from the cast and film.
READ MORE: The Jackass Crew Play ‘Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?’
“I think we all wish that he could recognize what happened the last time around,” shared Steve-O. “It was, ‘Hey we love you. We tried to do everything we could to show that we love you and try to save you’ and he just like … He knows that throughout that last movie I was the one in the corner that had his back trying to help.”
“We all thought that this was maybe going to be the opportunity to heal everything completely. And boy do I think it represented an opportunity for Bam to heal all the wounds and come back in the most powerful way,” added Steve-O.
The stunt artist, who had his own sobriety issues, then shared, “What I’ve learned from my recovery is that one of the most endearing things a person can do to earn random people’s respect is to admit they were wrong. It’s so difficult for people to admit their wrong part of the time, but if you can do that then it wins people over.”
He continued, “I just think if Bam could say, ‘Hey, you know what? I was in a really dark place with the disease and I was really sick the last time around and these guys tried to help me and they couldn’t, but it was on me…’ And he could take accountability for what happened in the past and say, ‘You know what? That’s what happened. But now I’m healthy and I’m willing to admit my part.’ THAT’s recovery. But what he’s failed to do is take accountability and he’s trying to blame [Johnny] Knoxville and [Jeff] Tremaine and it doesn’t make sense. All they tried to do is try to save him. All they tried to do is help him.”
Steve-O Speaks About Bam Margera on the TMZ TV Podcast
What Happened Between Bam Margera + The Jackass Franchise?
During the course of filming for Jackass Forever, Margera was let go from the film over a violation of his contract related to his sobriety. After he was let go from the movie, he filed a lawsuit against star Johnny Knoxville, director Jeff Tremaine, producer Spike Jonze and the production companies and distributors behind the film.
In his suit, Margera shared that the agreement made amounted to “psychological torture” with too many conditions that he had to follow. He cited wrongful termination when it was revealed that he tested positive for Adderall, which he shared had been prescribed by doctors. But Margera’s behavior at the time had raised concern as well, with Tremaine obtaining a temporary restraining order after receiving some disturbing messages, according to PopCrush. The stunt artist had also made veiled threats on Tremaine’s family as well, per ScreenCrush.
In 2022, the suit was settled. But he face relapse issues later that year after breaking his wrist in a fall at a skatepark. Eventually things started to turn around for Margera, but the hard feelings over his dismissal from the Jackass Forever film appear to still remain.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug and/or alcohol dependence, help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text message to 1-800-487-4889.
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