Former Jackass cast member Bam Margera is suing Johnny Knoxville, MTV, and Paramount after being “illegally fired” from Jackass Forever production. Margera claims a “Wellness Agreement” was used against him, resulting in him being fired.
Jackass Forever is the fourth film in the popular Jackass franchise. Each film consists of the cast members engaging in dangerous and sometimes disgusting stunts with a complete disregard for personal safety. Over the years, fans have grown accustomed to seeing key cast members like Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, and Bam Margera. However, Margera does not appear in Jackass Forever, and he has now filed a lawsuit claiming he was illegally fired from the production.
As reported by CinemaBlend, Margera filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Paramount Pictures, MTV, Jeffery Tremaine, Phillip John “P.J” Clapp (Johnny Knoxville), Adam H. Spiegel (Spike Jonze), Dickhouse Entertainment, Gorilla Flicks, and others. The lawsuit’s purpose is to “seek redress for Defendants’ inhumane, abusive and discriminatory treatment of Plaintiff Margera, and for their wrongful termination of him from the Jackass franchise he created.”
Margera is seeking millions in compensation and is pursuing an injunction that could prevent Jackass Forever from releasing on Oct. 22. Margera also released a statement explaining his thoughts and motivations behind the lawsuit.
“I am pissed-off, angry, hurt, and shattered that Johnny (Knoxville), Jeff (Tremaine), Spike (Jonze) and the studios and producers ripped off my creativity, content, and stunts to make this movie, fired me without justification, and refuse to pay for my work; I created this franchise before any of these guys ever got involved. My lawsuit isn’t just about compensation. It’s about treating people with mental health and addiction issues in an honest manner and not taking advantage of their disabilities to rip them off.”
Knoxville and other cast members have avoided discussing the reasoning behind Margera not appearing in Jackass Forever. However, he did state that it is important to him that Margera is “getting healthy.” The relationship between Margera and the rest of the cast and crew appears to have dissolved, and Jeff Tremaine has gone far as filing a restraining order against Margera.
Margera claims that he was forced to sign a Wellness Agreement by Knoxville and Jonze and that he would not be a part of any future Jackass films if he did not sign. The agreement required Margera to partake in daily drug tests completed randomly throughout the day, among other requirements. Margera claims that despite following the agreement, it was used against him as justification for his firing. Eric M. George, one of Margera’s lawyers, explained how the agreement was “psychological torture” and that Paramount’s “inhumane treatment of Margera cannot be tolerated.”
It is unclear how this lawsuit will affect the release of Jackass Forever. If everything goes according to plan, Jackass Forever will release in theaters on Oct. 22.