The time is right for Jackass 4. I’m craving seeing Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, and the gang getting whacked in the nuts while not thinking for a second about COVID. But there’s been a cloud hanging over the production for the past few months, as former Jackass Bam Margera is very unhappy that the studio fired him from the movie.
Despite Margera’s high-profile struggle with addiction, his friends managed to convince the studio that he should appear in Jackass 4. Paramount’s condition was that he sign a “Wellness Agreement,” consenting to his drug and alcohol intake being monitored as well as taking his medication under a doctor’s observation via FaceTime. But it appears that Margera broke this contract and was fired in early 2021.
Now there’s more disquieting news. According to TMZ, his wife Nicole Boyd filed for custody of their three-year-old son, asking the court to order that Margera be granted supervised visitation only. Boyd isn’t filing for divorce, simply asking that someone (who they will mutually pick) will be present when the two are together.
It’s not too difficult to read between the lines here and see that Margera is in a rough place. For example, the bad blood between him and Jackass 4 has led to him being slapped with a restraining order after reportedly threatening director Steve Tremaine’s wife and children. In response, he’s suing the production, claiming that Jackass was his idea and he deserves a payout.
As a longtime fan of CKY and Jackass, I can only echo Margera’s co-stars and friends and hope he gets the help he needs soon.
Jackass 4 hits theaters on Oct. 22, 2021.