The fallout between Bam Margera and his former Jackass co-stars has been very publicized, and Steve-O is now weighing in on the situation.
Margera sued Johnny Knoxville, Spike Ponze, and Paramount after he was allegedly wrongly terminated during filming. Steve-O, who is returning for the fourth and potentially final Jackass film, Jackass Forever, said Margera’s lawsuit is “absurd.”
“I tell you this man, I love Bam. I have no idea how he managed to get anybody to file a lawsuit. I’ve read it, and it’s just absurd. I mean it’s literally absurd… I shouldn’t even say what I said, but I can tell you that the lawsuit is absurd,” Steve-O said to TMZ.
Steve-O had previously criticized Margera for his negative comments about Knoxville, who Steve-O credits for saving his life after battling addiction for years. Margera has had his bouts with addiction for years as well, with several reported ultimately unsuccessful stints in rehab. Steve-O told TMZ in August 2018 that he was unsurprised by Margera relapsing.
“I saw on TMZ talking about him drinking again. It’s sad, dude. I kind of saw the signs. It wasn’t a surprise. The only thing that would surprise me is that he only drank then. It’s sad because when Bam was in rehab, I was able to have a real talk with him,” he said. “It becomes years and years just slipping through your fingers, and at a certain point if you have alcoholism — I don’t think anyone shows up in rehab by mistake. If you’ve got alcoholism, you’ve gotta do what the sober people do. That’s all there is to it.”
Jackass director Jeff Tremaine filed a restraining order against Margera in 2020 due to alleged continuous harassment online. Margera has called for his fans to boycott the film due to his firing, which he believes was unjust.
Although Margera will not be a part of the project, Steve-O, Knoxville, and many of the same faces will return for Jackass Forever. The movie’s release date has been delayed several times, but it is set to premiere on February 4th, 2022.