Kat Von D Posts Video With Bam Margera That Has Fans Applauding and Tearing Up

Kat Von D is there for her friend Bam Margera on every step of the way as he works on his sobriety following a public breakdown and cry for help from Dr. Phil. The makeup mogul and tattoo artist visited the Jackass star in rehab recently, sharing a video of the two sketching together as she got real about her own 11-plus years of sobriety and standing alongside someone struggling with their mental health.

“Getting sober was not easy for me,” she began her message under the video. “Even though it’s gonna be 12 years in July that I celebrate being clean from drinking and drugs, I still clearly remember the physical pain from withdrawals, the profound desire to die, and the overwhelming sense of loneliness I felt that day I decided to quit.”

Von D explained that it’s in this time of “big changes” you realize who your “real friends” are, adding in her experience she was left with “almost no one.”

“On day two of detoxing, I was failing to talk myself out of killing myself when a friend came over, and found the most pathetic/vulnerable version of me on my apartment floor,” she recalled. “He said, ‘Come on, Kat. Get up and let’s draw.’ I managed to scrape myself up somehow, find a piece of paper and whatever pencils were laying around.”

The artist continued, “Looking back, I realize he was just helping me put one foot in front of the other. Maybe it was just a distraction, or maybe it was his way of helping me refocus on the one thing that has always saved me from myself. Either way, it’s what I needed at that time, and I am so grateful to that friend.”

It’s this experience Von D drew upon when visiting Margera, whom she said she only shared the video of due to his openness about this whole rehabilitation process, “And man, it was beautiful to spend time together and draw!”

“I’m so proud to see Bam sincerely trying to make such meaningful changes — as hard as it is being away from family and home,” she wrote. “No one ever sees the struggle, or the ugly painful moments that take place behind the scenes unless you’re in it yourself. And this ‘Instagram’ version of ‘life’ that the public sees doesn’t hold a candle to reality.”

As everyone fight their own battles in life, Von D noted, “I wish we would all be so much more gentler to each other. Especially on social media. People are so quick to judge, criticize and even make fun of others, especially when people are going through s— [I know this from personal experience being on the receiving end of hate]. And sometimes, all we really need is support in the form of kindness.”

She ended with a special note for her friend, thanking him for always being there for her in return. “I’m so f—ing proud of you, and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’re gonna do.”

Best of luck to both of them on their sobriety journeys.

Photo credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images