The fourth film in the Jackass series is slated for release in late October, a perfect time to watch people do extremely bizarre and dangerous stunts in new and mind-boggling ways. But based on a number of reports, it sounds like the making of the film wasn’t without some bumps in the road. Most recently, Bam Margera has filed a lawsuit against a number of people and legal entities, including MTV Networks, Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville.
According to an article by Eriq Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter, Margera is arguing that the filmmakers violated his civil rights. At the center of the suit is a “Wellness Agreement” that the filmmakers requested that he sign. Gardner writes that, under the agreement, Margera could be fired if “he didn’t blow into a breathalyzer three times a day, submit to a urinalysis twice a week, have his have his hair follicles tested on a regular basis, and take pills every morning while on a FaceTime call with a doctor hired by Paramount.”
Margera eventually tested positive for Adderall, leading to his dismissal from the film. However, Margera argues that Adderall was something he was legitimately prescribed, and that his being fired falls was a violation of his civil rights — among other things.
Further complicating matters is the fact that Tremaine, the film’s director, obtained a temporary protection order against Margera earlier this year. After his firing from Jackass Forever, Margera had threatened Tremaine’s family and, in one conversation, contended that he had “powers as a wizard.”
This prompted Stephen Glover (aka Steve-O) to chime in on social media. In response to a video Margera posted on Instagram, Glover expressed concern over Margera’s health — and defended Tremaine and Knoxville, crediting them with saving his life. “Everyone bent over backwards to get you in the movie, and all you had to do was not get loaded. You’ve continued to get loaded, it’s that simple,” wrote Glover. “We all love you every bit as much as we all say we do, but nobody who really loves you can enable or encourage you to stay sick.”
It’s a grim situation in certain quarters of the Jackass world — and a reminder that even the most escapist entertainment can sometimes be a dangerous time for the people making it.
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