Margera is one of the original members of the Jackass team. In addition to starring in nearly all Jackass films as himself, Margera has also directed other Jackass spin-offs such as Viva La Bam and Bam’s Unholy Union. Fans also know that Margera has had a long and storied battle against alcohol abuse. With that said, Margera has made an effort to maintain sobriety in recent years. Unfortunately, this hasn’t always gone to plan. Most recently, Paramount Pictures reportedly fired Margera from the filming of Jackass Forever, with the reasons apparently related to his alcohol problems. Now, Margera is taking Paramount Pictures to court for wrongful termination.
Why is Margera suing Paramount?
Bam Margera is a notable omission from the fourth and potentially final Jackass installment, Jackass Forever. The reason behind Margera’s exclusion is not clear. However, as messy as the situation already was, it’s seemingly about to get much worse as Margera has decided to file a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, MTV, Jeffrey Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze, as well as Dickhouse Entertainment and Gorilla Flicks. Because of what Margera describes in his lawsuit as “abuse and discriminatory treatment” and “wrongful termination”, he is now seeking compensation in the range of millions of dollars. In addition to this, Margera wants an injunction preventing Jackass Forever from premiering on October 22. It’s worth noting that Jeff Tremaine, director of Jackass Forever, has already filed a temporary restraining order against Margera. Tremaine claims that Margera has constantly harassed both him and Johnny Knoxville on Instagram. Tremaine also alleges that Margera sent his family death threats. Because of this, Tremaine’s initial restraining order was extended by three years and now includes his entire family. To summarize Margera’s lawsuit, it all boils down to a “Wellness Agreement” that he claims Knoxville and Spike Jonze (producer of Jackass Forever) forced him to sign. According to Margera, if he didn’t sign the said agreement, the rest of the Jackass team would cut him off from future Jackass films. Margera argues that this would have had a significant effect on his primary source of income and ability to support his family. He claims that the agreement stipulated a list of conditions that he must fulfil, including daily random drug tests. It’s highly unfortunate that it has come to this between Margera and the rest of the Jackass crew. At this point, the Jackass team isn’t just a bunch of people who make films together. These individuals have built a camaraderie over the years. To see it all potentially go to waste is heartbreaking, to say the least. If it’s any consolation, Jackass Forever is set to release on October 22. While Bam definitely will not be in the film, we’re hoping that these folks can sort things out among themselves before the movie launches.