Why was Bam Margera fired? Actor’s feud with Jackass team explored as he declines return

Bam Margera was fired from Jackass Forever after he broke the rules of a strict sobriety contract—a deal he says he was forced into while he was still in rehab. According to Margera, the studio made him sign the “Wellness Agreement.” The agreement had harsh conditions like daily drug tests, breathalyzers three times a day, and video check-ins to prove he was taking his medication. The deal became the center of a legal battle, especially after he failed a drug test because of Adderall—something he says he was legally prescribed for ADHD.

Feeling blindsided, Margera sued Paramount, MTV, Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, and Spike Jonze in 2021. He claimed he was treated unfairly even though he was following the agreement as best as he could.

“Margera did not slip up,” the lawsuit said. “He followed the provisions of the Wellness Agreement to a tee, at great personal cost.”

He also claimed their actions worsened his mental health and caused him to have suicidal thoughts.

Bam Margera’s done with Jackass—for good

In April 2022, the lawsuit quietly ended with both sides reaching a confidential settlement. But despite that legal closure, the emotional damage seems permanent. Only a single blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene with Bam made it into Jackass Forever. Since then, he’s made it crystal clear—he’s not interested in ever returning.

“They have like new dudes, and what they did to me, making me go to treatment and paying for it, and then not putting me in a movie … you couldn’t offer me enough money to want to do another Jackass with them,” Margera told CinemaBlend. “The damage has been done.”

While some of the original crew have said they care about Bam Margera’s health, it’s clear he feels betrayed by people he once trusted. For Margera, it felt like more than losing a role—it was the loss of a family dynamic.

From stunt legend to legal battles: A troubled journey

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Bam Margera’s career has always teetered between fame and chaos. A beloved fixture of the Jackass franchise, he rose to fame in the early 2000s with his daredevil stunts, wild energy, and offbeat humor. But behind the scenes, his struggles with addiction and mental health were quietly escalating. Bam Margera was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has been in and out of rehab since 2009 for alcohol abuse.

His life only seemed to spiral further after his fallout with the Jackass team. One of the co-creators of the show, Jeff Tremaine, filed for a restraining order against Margera in 2021 due to alleged threats. Around the same time, Bam was publicly claiming that Paramount had “made him take antidepressants and sent him to rehab,” which he had to pay for himself. He even made a now-deleted Instagram post where he urged people to boycott the film and help fund a rival project. It marked a deeply personal low point for Margera, one that played out in full view of the public.

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