American actor Johnny Knoxville recently spoke for the first time about
co-star Bam Margrera’s issues with drug abuse and the subsequent firing from
the upcoming fourth ‘Jackass’ movie.
Magrega has been an integral cast member of the Jackass franchise since its
inception in 2000. The franchise includes the comedy reality television series
and three main films and a number of other spinoffs.
Also Read | San Francisco on the verge of breaking its own drug overdose record
However, in February, he was fired from the upcoming fourth movie for
failing to comply with conditions set by Knoxville and producers, which
included staying sober, regular drug tests and seeking mental health
counselling.
In an interview with GQ, Knoxville said, “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. I don’t want to get into a public
back-and-forth with Bam. I just want him to get better.”
Also Read | ‘General Hospital’ leads 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards nominations with 21 nominations
Following his firing, Margrega had posted a series of videos on
Instagram, wherein he claimed that the ‘Jackass’ team subjected him to “torture”
and made unreasonable demands.
Magrega isn’t the only ‘Jackass’ star to struggle with addiction issues.
Ryan Dunn died in a drunk driving accident in 2011, while Steve-O openly battled
his drug addiction before getting sober in 2008.
In his interview,
Knoxville was also asked how he and his co-stars adjusted to the stardom the show
brought them, and whether it was “responsible for exacerbating his friends’
struggles”.
Also Read | Justin Bieber opens about drug abuse, his relationships in latest interview
“It’s
difficult when your friends are… It was heartbreaking, losing Ryan. 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,” the 50-year-old said.
“I think
each of us was responsible for his own actions. 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.”
