Former pro skateboarder and Jackass star Bam Margera has never been shy about his personal struggles. But sadly, his decades-long cycle of self-destruction and rehabilitation continues to make headlines.
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Margera was set to star in Jackass 4, but castmates and producers gave him an ultimatum: go to rehab first, or you’re out. By February 2021, he was officially booted from the production for refusing to abide by the rules.
It’s unfortunate that the franchise fixture missed being in the film, but it’s also not a surprise. Let’s revisit his controversial history to determine how Bam Margera’s mental and physical health is doing in 2022.
Bam Margera Struggled To Cope With The Death Of Ryan Dunn
Many say Margera’s downward spiral began after the death of his best friend, Ryan Dunn. Dunn was tragically killed in a drunk driving incident in 2011. He was a regular on Jackass and Viva La Bam and was often seen playing pranks on Margera.
Grieving his friend, Margera turned to alcohol to numb the pain. According to a 2017 Q&A with Vice, he also developed bulimia.
“I think the reason I started throwing up was because I learned how to do it and at the end of the night I always felt like I drank too much, and if I’m drunk, I’ll stuff my fucking face with spaghetti. I would eat it, barf it all up, and it was like, I got my fill… but it was all pretty much due to alcohol.”
The Pressures Of A Demanding Career Deepened His Dependence On Alcohol
Margera has been in and out of treatment centers for his myriad problems, but sadly, he still hasn’t bottomed out. In a 2017 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Margera put some of the blame for his behaviors on the demands of his career.
“It took me four beers to even feel normal,” he said. “People go to rehab because drinking made them lose their job and their wife. My job is to do dumb [stuff] and the more shots of Crown Royal I’d do, the braver I’d be. Drinking helped me get paid. I’ve come to terms with the fact that it doesn’t take drinking to be funny, but it took me a long time to figure that out.”
Two years later, the same publication reported an update from Margera, who was then on his third stint in rehab.
“I have spent enough time grieving over Ryan Dunn through alcohol,” Margera wrote in a journal entry. “I am 39 years old, the party is over.”
Fans were relieved when he declared, “I don’t plan on drinking anymore.”
In 2021, Margera Had A Breakdown On Instagram Live
Margera seemed to fade out of the spotlight, but in February 2021, he resurfaced in a disturbing video tirade. In it, he admits that he drank a glass of wine and seven beers before filming.
Margera was upset about the situation with Jackass 4. He said producers put him through “hell on wheels” by making him go to rehab (again) and submitting to drug tests.
“If anybody cares about me, don’t go see their movie because I will make mine way [expletive] radder if you just Venmo me a dollar. Just a buck,” he implored in the now-deleted video.
In other now-deleted clips, Margera admitted to being depressed and having suicidal thoughts. He even stated that things had gotten so bad, his wife had found him searching the internet on how to tie a noose.
Margera Was Dropped From ‘Jackass 4’
It sounds like his castmates and colleagues had his best interests in mind, but they ultimately decided to drop him from the film. And as production for Jackass 4 moved forward, Margera continued to call out his former castmates.
In a video posted to his Instagram in May 2021, he doubled down about his hard feelings against his former cast members, saying that his Jackass family abandoned him. He eventually narrows his focus down to Johnny Knoxville and Jackass director and producer Jeff Tremaine.
Steve-O, who also has had his own share of troubles involving addiction, jumped into the comments to give his side of the story:
“Bam—the two people you’re saying wronged you (Knoxville and Tremaine) are the same two people who organized the intervention which saved my life. Everyone bent over backwards to get you in the movie, and all you had to do was not get loaded. You’ve continued to get loaded, it’s that simple. We all love you every bit as much as we all say we do, but nobody who really loves you can enable or encourage you to stay sick.”
‘Jackass’ Director Jeff Tremaine Filed A Restraining Order Against Bam Margera
In the midst of the drama on Instagram, Jackass co-creator Jeff Tremaine took legal steps to distance himself from Margera. In June 2021, he was granted a three-year restraining order that requires Margera to cease contact with the filmmaker and stay at least 100 yards away from him and his family.
Tremaine has a long history with Margera just like the cast we see on camera. But according to TMZ, Margera began harassing Tremaine starting in February, which aligns with the timeline of getting booted from the movie.
In the court documents obtained by TMZ, Tremaine expressed a fear for his and his family’s personal safety due to Margera’s social media activity and a series of threatening texts, where the Viva La Bam star urged Tremaine to sign a contract he wrote.
One of the most alarming texts that Tremaine received said, “Look at your children and grab your pocketbook and write a check, if you are greedy, and cheap, look at your children again. If you don‘t sign the paper, look at your children.”
Bam Margera’s Relationship With Wife Nicole Boyd
Margera is married to Nicole Boyd. The couple tied the knot in October 2013 and have one son, Phoenix Wolf, who was born in December 2017.
Margera was previously wed to Melissa “Missy” Rothstein. The two documented their wedding plans in MTV’s 2007 series Bam’s Unholy Union. However, the marriage quickly fell apart due to Margera’s drinking and infidelity. The couple separated in 2010, and their divorce was finalized in 2012.
As for Margera’s relationship with Nicole Boyd, it appears their marriage may be a bit strained. In September 2021, Boyd filed court documents seeking full custody of their son. Interestingly enough, she did not file for divorce.
After moving to Florida for rehab, it appears Boyd frequently visited and eventually moved as well as Margera’s Instagram account is filled with happy photos of his “bamily.” The skateboarded even reported that they had moved into together in Boca Raton while Margera continued to attend an outpatient treatment program.
Despite this, a flurry of news reports paints an unclear picture of the couple’s, and particularly his own, well-being.
What Is Bam Margera Up To Now?
Despite the drama and lawsuits Margera has faced in recent years, he does appear to be dedicated to cleaning up his act and getting his life back on track.
Margera Has Been Battling Addiction In Rehab
In May 2022, TMZ reported that Margera successfully completed a 12-month drug and alcohol abuse treatment program in Florida. Given snaps on his Instagram account of trips to Disney World and Marlins games, it appears his family has been eagerly supporting him on his sobriety journey.
Margera Has Fled Rehab Three Times
Despite this major milestone, in June 2022, TMZ also reported that Margera had twice fled the rehab center, the first time due to being unhappy with their services, and the second for fears of never seeing his son Phoenix again. The outlet also stated their sources indicated Margera has been off his medication since leaving the facility, which may explain his recent outbursts.
After the second fleeing incident, a crisis intervention was held, in which Margera agreed to check into a new facility treatment center. Boyd also claims to still be very supportive of her husband, despite a report a few weeks prior that indicated the couple had split.
In September of 2022, Page Six reported that Margera had been seen leaving a bar with an unidentified brunette woman the day after getting out of court-ordered rehab once again. According to the report, Margera had been working with a lawyer while in the rehab facility to lift the court order. A fan posted a photo taken with Margera outside of the bar, but it was later deleted.
A New Approach To Margera’s Treatment
On September 18, 2022, however, the same outlet reported that Margera had returned to rehab. A confidential source told TMZ that the troubled star’s team worked with a judge to restructure the approach to his treatment. Because he has fled rehab multiple times, he will no longer be required to follow an in-patient program. He will still be required to remain sober, however, and he will see a psychiatrist and attend classes.
Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t seem to be working either. Just a couple of weeks after this report, TMZ shared photos of Margera partying in Atlanta with Parker Lipman, the host of MTV’s Buckhead Shore. This means Margera crossed state lines against the advice of his team to hang out at a bar. It was reported that eyewitnesses saw him drinking while partying, though no photographic evidence of this has been released.
Family Response To The ‘Free Bam’ Movement
While Margera’s fans are eager to hear from him again, their responses to his lower profile haven’t always been helpful. The hashtag #freebam began trending while he was in rehab, used by fans who believed he had been placed under a conservatorship and thought there were parallels between his situation and Britney Spears’.
In response, the Margera family took to social media to reassure his fans that some time out of the spotlight is exactly what Margera needs to recover. In a statement posted on Margera’s official Instagram on August 7, 2022, the family reported that “Bam has never been in a conservatorship but rather a temporary healthcare guardianship.”
They affirmed Margera’s need for privacy while fighting his demons and asked fans to support his process. According to the statement, “The ‘Free Bam’ theorists have encouraged his exit from treatment, despite their lacking knowledge of the details, his health, and well-being.”
Given Margera’s long and difficult battle with addiction, it’s not surprising that he would need professional help. We’re as eager as anyone to see him back in action, but it seems that fans can best support him by encouraging him to keep working toward recovery.
There is no doubt the pressures of rehab and beating a crippling addiction has been difficult. We can only hope that Margera continues putting in the hard work of staying clean and supporting his family and that he gets the help he needs on his journey to sobriety.
Margera Reflected On Being Booted From ‘Jackass’
In August of 2022, Margera made an appearance on Steve-O’s podcast Steve-O’s Wild Ride. During his interview, he admitted that he is “much better off” after being kicked out of the Jackass franchise—so it sounds like he’s made some peace with the difficult experience.
He’s Back On The Road With Steve-O
It looks like all of his addiction woes can’t keep him from performing forever. In January 2023, his Jackass co-star Steve-O announced that Margera would be accompanying him on The Bucket List Tour. Margera made a surprise appearance at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon.
Steve-O explained that he hoped performing again would help his friend to get back on a healthier path. We certainly hope that a little help from his friends makes a difference.
That being said, however, Margera continues to make online outbursts that worry his friends. After one such rant in February 2023, Steve-O left a since-deleted comment expressing his concern: “You’re dying, brother, and it sucks that I can’t do anything to save you” (via The Daily Star).
Only time will tell if Margera can overcome his demons and get back to health. We certainly hope he gets there.