Since the mid-2000s, Margera has struggled with alcoholism and subsequent legal troubles. He first entered rehab in 2009 but left after four days and has since had at least seven subsequent attempts at rehab without completing the program. Following the death of childhood friend Ryan Dunn and the end of his television projects in 2011–12, Margera's drinking and drug use intensified. In 2020, he was fired from the production of Jackass Forever (2022) due to his drug and alcohol issues.
Early life and CKY videos
Margera was born on September 28, 1979,[5] and raised in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the son of April and Phil Margera. He is the younger brother of rock musician Jess Margera and nephew of television personality Vincent "Don Vito" Margera. His grandfather nicknamed him "Bam Bam" at the age of three after noticing his habit of purposely running into walls; over time, that nickname was shortened to "Bam" by his schoolmates.[6] Before their television fame, Margera's parents April and Phil worked as a hairdresser and baker respectively.[7]
Margera got his first video camera from his father in 1993[8] after he enrolled in a digital media class with childhood friend Chris Raab, where they also met future collaborators Art Webb, Brandon DiCamillo, and Ryan Dunn. They began shooting videos of Margera and his friends skateboarding and doing stunts, which eventually turned into the CKY video series.[9] CKY stands for "Camp Kill Yourself", a name shared with his brother Jess Margera's band, CKY, which was named as a tribute to the film Sleepaway Camp (1983).
In 1994, Margera dropped out of school after Chris Raab was expelled,[10] but was homeschooled by his mother and received his GED.[11] On September 21, 1995, Margera, his brother Jess, Dunn and Raab were involved in a serious car accident near their home town. In later interviews, Margera revealed that Raab had "forced him" to wear a seatbelt as the car was going nearly 100mph, and that this probably saved his life. Other than his brother Jess suffering a broken arm, none of the four were seriously injured.
Following years of recording and editing, Margera independently released the first CKY film, then titled CKY: Landspeed, in 1999. The film is a collection of stunts and pranks interspersed with skateboarding tricks and footage set to music by CKY. Subsequent releases of the film removed the Landspeed subtitle. In the following years, the sequels CKY2K, CKY3 and CKY4: The Latest and Greatest were released. These early videos feature many of Margera's friends, including Dunn, Raab, DiCamillo, Rake Yohn and Brandon Novak, who formed a loose collective known as the CKY crew. During this period, the videos and band projects were heavily interlinked, with two of the band's albums being unofficial soundtracks to the videos.
Margera (center) with Ryan Dunn (second from left; blue shirt) during a live shoot in New York, April 2004
Following CKY's success, former Big Brother editor Jeff Tremaine noticed Margera's videos and drafted him into the team that would eventually become MTV's Jackass. Margera and Ryan Dunn became mainstays of the cast while other CKY crew members played supporting roles to various degrees. In the original series, several of the features stunts were taken directly from the CKY videos. Margera went on to appear in Jackass: The Movie (2002), Jackass Number Two (2006), Jackass 2.5 (2007), Jackass 3D (2010), and Jackass 3.5 (2011), with a minor appearance in Jackass Forever (2022). Several skits in the first Jackass movie were CKY-style pieces filmed in and around West Chester, while similar scenes in the second movie were removed after the arrest and conviction of Margera's uncle Vincent Margera (also known as Don Vito) inappropriately touching two minors.
After the Jackass series ended in 2002, Margera was given a follow-up, Viva La Bam, which ran for five seasons from 2003 to 2005. A mixture of stunts and reality, the show followed Margera and his crew as they performed various stunts and missions, but also offered insight into their daily lives. The show was primarily filmed in West Chester but also visited New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Brazil, Finland, Mexico, Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Monaco, and Transylvania. In addition to the regular series, special episodes have included "Viva La Spring Break" and a "lost" episode included on the Viva La Bands CD, which was originally filmed in Iceland for the first season. A two-part special episode, "Viva La Spring Break", aired in 2006.
In 2003, Margera played himself in the movie Grind, which portrays four young men following a professional skateboarder from Chicago to California. The film contains numerous cameos by Jackass members, as well as many professional skateboarders and other celebrities. Upon release, it was met with generally unfavorable reviews from critics, but was rated much higher by the general public.[12]
In 2007, Margera's engagement and wedding planning was filmed for Bam's Unholy Union as a follow-up to Viva la Bam. The show follows Margera, his then-fiancée Missy Rothstein, and their friends in the lead-up to their wedding.[13] In 2008, Margera had a "prominent, non-sex role" in a pornographic film by Gina Lynn, The Fantasstic Whores 4, with Brandon Novak.[14] In 2009, Margera appeared on Nitro Circus,[15] and the following year Margera starred alongside Dunn and skateboarder Tim O'Connor in the one-off special Bam's World Domination on Spike TV, which showcased Margera and his friends' attempt to conquer an obstacle course race in the Tough Guy Competition, held in Staffordshire, England.[16]
In March 2016, Bam and his parents appeared on the VH1 reality television show Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn to address Bam's self-destructive behavior.[17]
Skateboarding career
Margera skateboarding in 2006
Margera started skateboarding at age 7, and by the time he entered high school it had developed into a full-time hobby. His brother Jess later described his abilities as "a natural talent" and noted that their parents had been very supportive of Margera's decision to go into skateboarding "from day one", and revealed that he used to travel with Bam to Love Park in Philadelphia as early as 1991, when they were 12 and 13 years old.[18] In 1992, Margera got his first sponsorship from Fairman's Skate Shop and began appearing in skate videos.[19] In 1994, Margera dropped out of high school to pursue a full-time skateboarding career.
In 2012, Margera was forced to put his skating career on hold due to bone spurs and worsening alcoholism. After a five-year hiatus, he returned to skateboarding casually, resulting in a renewed partnership with Element Skateboards to celebrate the brand's 25th anniversary in 2017, by re-releasing a series of ten of his most memorable deck designs. The boards were released weekly between September 6 and November 8, 2017; each deck is signed by Margera and limited to 50 units.[24]
As of 2024, Margera is without any major sponsorships.
Independent films
Margera has written, produced and starred in three independent films as of 2024, with a fourth scheduled but on hold since 2017. He co-wrote, directed and starred in Haggard (2003), an independent film based on real events in the life of his friend Ryan Dunn. Dunn played himself as the main character while Margera played "Valo", a character based on himself and elements of HIM singer and friend Ville Valo.[25]
Margera also directed Minghags, formerly titled Kiss a Good Man's Ass.[26] The film is a loose sequel to Haggard and features the "garbage juicer" invention from that film.[27] Filming started April 5, 2007.[28] On an episode of Radio Bam, Margera said that they were trying to make the movie PG-13 rated,[29] but with the amount of swearing and a shot of nudity, an R rating could not be avoided. The first viewing of the rough version of the film was on August 7, 2007, at Sikes Hall.[30] The movie was released straight to DVD in December 2008.
Also in December 2008, Margera released a Christmas-themed movie, Bam Margera Presents: Where the#$&% Is Santa?.[31] The movie is about Bam and his friends going to the Arctic Circle in Finland on a quest to find Santa Claus. The film features Ville Valo from HIM, the Dudesons, Hanoi Rocks, and Mark the Bagger.[31]
In January 2015, Margera announced that he had been working on an autobiographical documentary film which he hoped to premiere in the near future. The film will deal primarily with Margera's life after the death of his close friend and co-star, Ryan Dunn, who died in a car crash in 2011. According to Margera the film has been three years in the making, and will give viewers a glimpse into his childhood, career and rise to fame, while focusing mainly on his recovery from the death of Dunn.[32] Musician Brent Hinds of the band Mastodon will play Dunn in what has been described as "dramatic fantasy interludes" that ties the film together while also re-enacting what Margera considers his "darkest moments" after Dunn's death.[33]
During a Facebook Q&A on December 7, 2015, Margera stated that the name of the film would change from I Need Time to Stay Useless to Earth Rocker and that it would be released February 2016.[34] In a 2017 episode of Vice's Epicly Later'd, Margera stated that after working on the film for four years straight, sometimes for weeks at a time, he had reached the point where he had had enough of doing so. Margera stated that he had approximately eleven terabytes worth of video footage and that editing it down into a two-hour film was impossible. When asked if the project was on pause for the moment, he responded that it was.[35]
As of 2024, the documentary remains unreleased, with no scheduled release date.
Radio Bam and music
Margera began a weekly Sirius Satellite Radio show on Sirius channel 28 Faction on November 24, 2004, called Radio Bam. The show initially featured Margera and his friends from the CKY and Jackass crews, while later shows featured less of the two crews and more of Margera's newer friends. In 2005, Margera formed a music label, Filthy Note Records, and has since directed music videos for Clutch, Turbonegro, Viking Skull, Vains of Jenna and several for CKY. He also directed four music videos, "Buried Alive by Love", "The Sacrament", "And Love Said No", and "Solitary Man", for the Finnish band HIM, and three for The 69 Eyes, "Lost Boys", "Dead Girls Are Easy" and "Dead N Gone".
A competent amateur musician, Margera also played keyboards in a novelty band called Gnarkill along with his brother Jess Margera, Brandon DiCamillo, Rich Vose and Matt Cole. The group released two albums, Gnarkill in 2003 and Gnarkill vs. Unkle Matt and the Shitbirdz in 2006. Margera also plays guitar, frequently seen doing so in episodes of Viva La Bam.
Since 2013, he has featured in two musical projects; Fuckface Unstoppable,[36] which was written about in 2013 on the Buddyhead website in an article questioning the seriousness of the band ("a joke band(?)"). The band featured Margera, Jess Margera, his then-partner Nikki Boyd, and Brandon Novak. Chad Ginsburg, of CKY, was the band's guitarist before quitting.[37]Matt Deis, also of CKY, performed with the band as well. The band released their debut album FFU in May 2014 through Artery Records.
A second project, The Evesdroppers, featuring Bam, Jess, Nikki, Mike Nappi, and Chad I Ginsburg, released a self-titled album in September 2016 through Casual Madness.
In late September 2008, Margera opened a bar/theater called "The Note", in his hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania.[39] Serious restrictions from West Chester Borough Council caused a multitude of issues for Margera and the bar, and The Note closed its doors in January 2014.[40]
In late 2009, Margera released a book containing private writings and pictures titled Serious as Dog Dirt.[41]
In 2020, Margera started appearing in YouTube videos including a viral water balloon fight video with model Jeb Carty.[42]
Personal life
Relationships
Margera was engaged to Jenn Rivell, who played a prominent part in several of his projects. The couple appeared to be cohabiting in various episodes of Viva La Bam. Their seven-year relationship ended in 2005.[43] In November 2006, Margera filed for "protection from abuse" from Rivell after she allegedly broke into his house.[43]
In 2006, Margera became engaged to childhood friend Melissa "Missy" Rothstein.[44] The events leading up to their wedding (with about 350 friends and family in attendance) on February 3, 2007, in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were chronicled on the MTV series Bam's Unholy Union. The couple's honeymoon was in Dubai. In 2008, during an appearance on LA Ink, Margera told Kat Von D about $13,000 in damage that occurred during his wedding celebration, explaining, "I was kind of ready for it, though. I was like, 'I'm inviting the Jackass crew. If something doesn't get broken then that's not right.'"[45][46]
Missy and Bam Margera
In October 2010, Margera told Howard Stern that he and Rothstein were living in separate cities, they meet once a week, and that Rothstein knew that he had girlfriends.[47][48] The couple divorced in November 2012.[49]
On October 5, 2013, Margera married Nicole Boyd in Reykjavík, Iceland.[50] In June 2017, Margera announced that Boyd was pregnant with the couple's first child. In September 2017, it was announced that the child, a boy, would be named Phoenix Wolf.[51] Margera's son was born in December 2017.[52]
On September 16, 2021, Boyd filed for child custody of their son Phoenix Wolf. However, she did not file a divorce petition to end their eight-year marriage.[53] On February 15, 2023, Boyd filed for legal separation and spousal support, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple has been living separately since 2021.[2] Legal documents state that Boyd is seeking physical and legal custody and that Margera can have parental visitation as long as he and his son remain within Los Angeles County. It further details that her reasoning for filing for separation was based on Margera behaving inappropriately while spending time with their son, leading Boyd to believe Margera was under the influence.[54]
He started dating model Dannii Marie in July 2023. He proposed to her in October 2023.[55] They got officially married on May 28, 2024.[3]
Name and residence
Margera owns two houses in the West Chester area – his present residence and his former home, known as Castle Bam, which he bought in 2004. Castle Bam is a large house in Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania, that was often featured on Viva La Bam.[56] The house has a gothic theme, a skatepark in the driveway, and is situated on 14 acres (5.7 hectares) of land. In January 2007, Margera built a ramp in the backyard which caused trouble with the township.[57]
In 2018, April Margera began renovating the home in order for it to be used for short-term rentals via Airbnb. Margera has made it known that the home will not look the way it did on Viva La Bam. Rentals of the home were expected to be made available in 2018.[58]
In an October 24, 2007, interview with the Cleveland Free Times, Margera stated that although he had completed paperwork that would legally change his first name to Bam, he was "still debating" filing it after a conversation with his father.[59]
Health and alcoholism
Margera has had a history of alcohol abuse since his early twenties, and was frequently seen drinking and/or intoxicated on-camera in Viva La Bam, Bam's Unholy Union, and in behind-the-scenes footage from the Jackass films. In July 2009, Margera was taken to the hospital by paramedics and state troopers after a four-day alcohol binge.[60] His drinking habits had worsened after his previous shows ended in 2007. In December 2009, he entered rehab for the first time after an intervention from his friends and family, but did not complete the program, leaving after only four days.[61] Following close friend Ryan Dunn's death in 2011, Margera's drinking intensified further, and by Margera's own account, he considers 2012 as the year he lost control of his drinking, both due to Dunn's death, but also because bone spurs forced him to put his skating career on hold, and he began binge drinking "to kill the boredom".[62]
In 2015, Margera entered rehab for a second time for alcoholism, but again left shortly after without finishing the program. Later that year, he took part in Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn on VH1 with his mother, April Margera, after which he remained sober for several months.[63] and revealed how his unhealthy lifestyle had forced him to relearn skating after five years, and had also left him overweight.[64] He then moved to Tallinn, Estonia for five months to get in better shape. After getting in better shape, he relocated to Barcelona, Spain with his family to focus on his skating career in late 2016, but moved back to Pennsylvania in 2017, before his son was born. In a 90-minute interview with YouTube series The Nine Club recorded and released in November 2017, Margera discussed his health issues and alcoholism, claiming that he had been "mostly sober" since 2015.[65]
In January 2018, Margera entered rehab for the third time after a DUI, and remained sober for seven months. Later that year, he relapsed after being robbed at gunpoint during a vacation in Colombia.[66] In January 2019, one year after his previous attempt, Margera entered rehab once more,[64] but left after ten days, stating that he "didn't belong there", and was planning on beating his alcoholism on his own.[67] In March 2019, TMZ released a video showing Margera screaming at and threatening his manager at West Side Comedy Club in New York City. Additionally, Margera made Instagram posts in which he insulted his wife and damaged his own home, leading to friends and family members coming together to have Margera committed to a mental health treatment facility.[68] Margera was released from treatment and returned home after one week.
On August 3, 2019, a drunken Margera was removed from a commercial airline flight following an altercation with an airport police officer, who told him he was too intoxicated to fly.[69] The following day, Margera posted a chain of videos on his Instagram account, publicly pleading for Dr. Phil's help. He directed a lengthy tirade towards his mother April, wife Nikki Margera, and childhood friend Brandon Novak, candidly stating his relationship with his family is broken.[70] Dr. Phil reciprocated Margera's pleas the next morning, referring him to a treatment center following a one-on-one session.[71]
On May 17, 2022, Margera announced that he had completed one year of sobriety treatment.[72][73] He relapsed less than a month later, and on June 15, Margera was reported missing after fleeing his rehab center.[74] He was found and voluntarily returned to rehab after being gone for a week. He was returned with police escort since he was in the rehabilitation facility under court order.[75] On June 26, 2022, he was reported missing again after fleeing his rehab center for the second time.[76] He was found and checked in to a new treatment facility on June 27, 2022.[77] He was spotted at a bar after fleeing rehab once again on September 4, 2022.[78] On September 25, 2022, it was reported that he was caught intoxicated in a bar in Atlanta, Georgia, amid rehab problems.[79]
On December 9, 2022, it was reported that Margera was hospitalized and put on a ventilator in a San DiegoICU due to pneumonia and COVID-19.[80] He was released from the hospital the next day.[81] On Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast, he said that he also suffered from four seizures before he got to the hospital, and another one during his stay at the hospital.[82]
On February 15, 2023, his wife Nikki filed for legal separation and spousal support, citing irreconcilable differences.[2] Legal documents detailed that her reasoning for filing for separation was based on Margera behaving inappropriately while spending time with their son, leading Boyd to believe Margera was under the influence of alcohol.[83]
On May 26, 2023, it was reported that Margera wants a judge to dismiss his divorce with his wife Nikki, as she is not allowing him to see their son.[85] On June 1, 2023, he posted a video on Instagram threatening to smoke crack until he's dead unless he sees his son.[86] By June 4 police had located and taken custody of Margera in Los Angeles, California, after which he was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for evaluation via a 5150 hold.[87]
On September 23, 2024, it was reported that he was arrested again after he allegedly violated his probation. He was put in the Chester County Prison, and was ordered to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation.[88]
Legal issues
On June 12, 2010, Margera was allegedly attacked with a baseball bat outside his bar, The Note.[89] Margera spent the night at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where he was treated for head injuries. According to the alleged assailant, Elizabeth Ray, it was because Margera allegedly called her a "nigger".[89] Ray denies attacking Margera.[89] Margera denies having said the word, claiming "I called her a crazy bitch and an idiot, but I definitely didn't use the n-word".[90]
In July 2013, Margera was arrested at Keflavík Airport in Iceland, having left the country without paying damages following a rental car dispute the year before. Margera had rented a Toyota Land Cruiser during a vacation in Iceland in 2012, which he had returned in "terrible shape" five days later, but left the country before paying for the damage. Margera was released later the same day after paying the outstanding fees, and admitted in an interview that he had trashed the car in a drunken stupor.[91]
On March 2, 2023, Margera was arrested for domestic violence, after he allegedly kicked a woman. He was released from custody after he posted a $50,000 bail the next day.[92] On April 23, 2023, police were dispatched to Margera's home after he allegedly made death threats to his brother and subsequently punched him in the face. Margera reportedly fled on foot into the woods when police arrived.[93][94] After being on the run for three days and allegedly making several threatening phone calls to his family, Margera surrendered to Pennsylvania Police. He also released a statement saying the allegations made by his brother were false.[95]
Around June 7, 2023, Margera was placed on 5150 psychiatric hold at a Los Angeles mental health facility, following disturbing text messages Margera had been sending family members, and erratic speech and behavior when he was located by police.[96]
Additionally, Margera encountered further legal issues in Delaware County when he was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Prosecutors questioned whether his bail should be revoked due to these incidents, prompting Margera to appear before Judge Patrick Carmody and pledge his commitment to sobriety. The judge allowed Margera to remove his ankle bracelet temporarily to assess his alcohol use, with a warning of consequences for any future violations.[97]
Jackass firing
During a January 2021 interview, Margera revealed that owing to his behavior over the last few years, Jackass co-creator Jeff Tremaine had to fight with the studio to keep Margera in the next Jackass film, Jackass Forever (2022), and that Margera still was not certain that Paramount Pictures was ultimately going to allow him to partake in the filming of the movie, and that it depended on his sobriety and behaviour.[98] On February 11, 2021, Margera posted several videos to his Instagram account, in which he admitted to breaking his sobriety, and indicated that he had officially been fired from the filming of Jackass Forever, which was officially confirmed soon after. Throughout the video, he could be seen crying, vomiting, and alluding to having looked up "how to tie a noose" before his move to Oceanside, California.[99]
Margera alleged that Paramount had been forcing him to take antidepressants, submit to random urine tests, and to check in to two different rehabilitation facilities using his own money. He also expressed disdain for Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze, before asking his fans to boycott Jackass Forever. He then solicited his followers to send him money to film his own movie to compete with Jackass Forever. The videos were removed from Margera's Instagram account soon after being posted.[100]
On May 25, 2021, it was reported that Tremaine had filed a temporary restraining order against Margera, due to Margera's harassment of both Tremaine and Knoxville via Instagram.[101] Tremaine was granted an additional three-year restraining order, extended to Tremaine's wife and children, after Margera allegedly sent the family death threats.[102] On August 9, 2021, Margera filed a lawsuit against Tremaine, Knoxville, and Jonze, as well as against Paramount Pictures, MTV, Dickhouse Entertainment, and Gorilla Flicks, alleging that he was wrongfully fired from the production of Jackass Forever.[103]
On January 12, 2022, Knoxville said that one scene Margera filmed for Jackass Forever would still be in the film, despite the ongoing lawsuit.[104] They came with a settlement after Margera asked to dismiss the lawsuit on April 14, 2022. The terms of the settlement remain private.[105] Margera eventually appeared in the film in one scene filmed before his termination and in archival footage.
Following the settlement, Margera ruled out any future involvements with his former Jackass colleagues, stating Knoxville and Tremaine “ruined the legacy of Jackass”, although he remains friends with Steve-O.[106]
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