Bam Margera is paying tribute to his late best friend Ryan Dunn on what would have been the Jackass star’s 45th birthday. The MTV alum took to Instagram to celebrate Dunn’s big day on June 11, sharing candid moments of their years together goofing off on Jackass and Viva La Bam before Dunn’s tragic death in a car crash on June 20, 2011.
“A best friend is hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget,” Margera wrote. “Happy Birthday Ryan.” Jackass fans loved the tribute, calling Margera and Dunn the “greatest duo of all time” and “legends” in the comments. “My favorite best friend team,” another wrote. “Happy birthday, Ryan.”
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Dunn died in a tragic car crash in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania after crashing his Porsche 911 GT3 into a tree at a high rate of speed, resulting in the death of the reality star and 29-year-old Zach Hartwell, a PA on the Jackass movie that was being filmed at the time. Alcohol was later determined to have been a factor in the crash. Upon getting the news, Margera raced to the scene from Arizona, telling NBC10 Philadephia at the time that he had sensed something was wrong at the time of the crash, despite not having gotten the news yet.
“I was in Arizona when I heard. I was with some friends having the best time ever and… at 12:30 I just started punching out the windows of the rental van and ripping out the speakers,” a tearful Margera said. “I don’t even know why. I wasn’t mad at anything or anybody. And if it was 12:30 there that means it was exactly when he crashed.” He added to Fox after Dunn’s passing, “He was the happiest person ever. The smartest guy. So much talent and he had so many things going for him. It’s just not right. It’s not right. It was the worst phone call I’ve ever got in my life – waking up to that.”
Dunn’s many friends in the Jackass franchise were quick to honor him on his birthday as well, with Johnny Knoxville writing on Instagram alongside a photo of his late friend, “Happy birthday Ryan, we sure love and miss you buddy.” Steve-O honored both his late mother and Dunn on their shared birthday, writing, “Happy Birthday, Mom and Ryan… I love and miss you both…”
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