Johnny Knoxville says he wants Bam Margera to ‘get better’ as he opens up on relationship

Johnny Knoxville has opened up on his difficult relationship with Bam Margera as reports that suggest Margera is struggling in rehab.

The pair had a very public falling out after Margera sued Knoxville and Paramount for an apparent wrongful termination from Jackass Forever.

Margera claimed that he faced 'inhuman, abusive and discriminatory treatment' during the making of the film.

When the lawsuit was filed in August 2021, Margera alleged that directors Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze, alongside Knoxville, 'accosted him and coerced him into signing a draconian 'Wellness Agreement,' which reportedly required him to take regular drug tests.

In a statement released at the time, the stunt performer said he was 'angry and hurt' after being cut from the film.

Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

However, the Jackass co-stars settled their disagreement after the Viva La Bam star dropped the lawsuit earlier this year.

In an interview with Variety, Knoxville said that he hadn't spoken to Margera in over a year but hoped he would get better soon.

He said: "I haven’t spoken to Bam in about a year and a half, give or take six months. Jeff Tremaine, Steve-O and I had a face-to-face meeting with Bam and his wife, trying to figure out how to get him help.

"Then we had a Zoom as a group not long after that, and that was the last time I talked to him. It boils down to: I love Bam. I know that a lot has happened. I just want him to get well for himself and his family. I love the guy, and I want him to get well and stay well."

The Jackass Forever star was then asked if he saw a space for Margera in the Jackass universe again in the future, to which he replied: "I think that would be a discussion. I only want him to get better. That’s the first step.

"He has to take that step and maintain that step, because everything else is just gravy. Jackass is not important when you’re talking about someone’s life." 

Elsewhere in the interview, Knoxville was also asked on what legacy he thought Jackass would leave: "I never even think about it unless someone asks me about it in an interview. That’s not for me to answer. It belongs to everybody now. However you perceive Jackass is fine by me. The toothpaste is out of the tube."

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