It was a great disappointment for fans after Bam Margera exited the cast of Jackass Forever. Despite his firing, one of his scenes survived the cuts to make it into the movie. In one stunt, some of the dress like a marching band and walk out, one by one, onto a large treadmill. This launches them towards a large metal door, with the whole group slamming into one another as they fall and slide. Fans who look closely will see that Margera is one of the perilous marching band members.
It was announced in February 2021 that Margera had been let go from Jackass Forever, after failing to adhere to production sobriety guidelines. This reportedly included drug testing, breathalyzer tests, taking medication as directed and seeing a psychologist. In wake of his unceremonious exit, Margera lashed out at his former castmates and even filed lawsuits against the producers. Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville eventually broke his silence over Margera’s messy dispute with the rest of the cast, telling GQ, “I don’t want to get into a public back-and-forth with Bam. I just want him to get better.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
The aforementioned comment came from a follow-up inquiry after Margera made the claims about being fired from the film. Ahead of those, during the formal interview, Knoxville spoke about his friends and castmates’ struggles throughout the years — as well as his own — and provided insight into how devastating the death of Jackass star Ryan Dunn was for the whole group. “It’s difficult when your friends are…” Knoxville began, then changed his train of thought. “It was heartbreaking, losing Ryan.” He then added, “And it was tough when Steve-O was going off the rails. But he has completely, completely turned his life around and is doing just—I mean, he’s doing terrific. He’s a different, different man.”
“I think each of us was responsible for his own actions,” Knoxville continued. “And when someone’s struggling, everyone tries to help that person. And at the end of the day, that person has to want help. Sometimes they don’t. Yet.” Knoxville was asked if his comments were related to anyone specific, to which he said they were meant to reflect Margera’s struggle. “We want Bam to be happy and healthy and get the help he needs. We tried to push that along. I think that’s all I really want to say about it.”
