Jackass star Bam Margera details year in rehab after being kicked out for 'dumb reasons'

Jackass star Bam Margera has opened up about spending a full year in rehab for an addiction to drink and drugs.

The prankster, a skateboarder who shot to fame as a member of the Jackass crew on MTV, told how he had been drinking heavily for 10 years, sometimes necking whiskey as soon as he woke up in the morning.

Despite having spells of being booze free, whenever he hit the bottle again, he said things would unravel quickly.

Read more: Jackass cast’s biggest feuds – film bust up, contract argument and bitter lawsuit

Speaking to his old Jackass pal Steve-O on his Wild Ride podcast, Bam, 42, admitted it took him a while to accept that he had a problem, telling how he would “control himself” so he cold function when drunk.

He said: “I wasn’t going out to bars and I wasn’t being a mess, so the fact I learned how to control behaving myself, but still being wasted, I felt like I had an excuse to say I’m better than I was.”

Steve-O, though, shot down his claims, telling him: “Bam, you didn’t control s**t.”

Bam, who has been in rehab several times since 2009, previously claimed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

He said his most recent spell in treatment was for “Adderall and alcohol”. Adderall, a stimulant made up of amphetamines, is prescribed to help treat symptoms of ADHD.

The stint followed a particularly turbulent period for the star.

In February 2021 he claimed he’d been fired from the Jackass Forever movie midway through filming.

It came after he posted videos on his Instagram in which he admitted to falling off the wagon. In one clip, which he later deleted, he was seen crying, vomiting and alluding to suicidal thoughts.

He accused Paramount Pictures of forcing him to take anti-depressants, submit drug tests and check in to two rehab facilities at his own expense. He also criticised Jackass co-creators Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville, as well as producer Spike Jonze.

He then encouraged his followers to boycott the movie.

Bam later claimed producers made him sign a ‘Wellness Agreement’. That contract was reportedly broken when he failed a drug test, leading to him being axed from the film.

He went on to file a wrongful termination lawsuit claiming violation of his civil rights. He eventually settled the suit against Knoxville, Tremaine, Jonze, Paramount, MTV, Dickhouse Entertainment and Gorilla Flicks.

In May this year he revealed that he had just completed a full year in rehab.

During that time, the “Free Bam Movement” starting gaining momentum on social media as fans believed he was under a conservatorship, similar to Britney Spears.

In the Wild Ride podcast episode, Steve-O made it clear that Bam was not the “Britney Spears of Jackass”, explaining that he is under a guardianship rather than a conservatorship.

Bam said he was largely oblivious to the movement because he doesn’t have access to his social media accounts.

He said: “I don’t know what’s been going on because I haven’t been able to look.

“As a matter of fact I can’t even post on my Instagram – everything has to go through Johnny Schillereff from Heart Supply because I had to sign a contract because when I was dealing with the lawsuit with Paramount and Jackass.

“I was posting, ‘f*** these’ and it was potentially ruining my lawsuit so I had to sign a paper saying only Johnny can clear what goes through my Instagram, so I don’t even know my new passcode. I can’t control what goes on it.”

The “Free Bam” campaigners had encouraged him to leave treatment.

But he told Steve-O: “I was just getting treatment for my alcohol and bipolar, and I just did more time than I was supposed to, just from getting kicked out for dumb reasons, but now I’m out I get freedom, I get a phone, and nobody was forcing me to be there.”

He also told fans he planned to “protect his sobriety” by attending meetings, hanging out with sober people and getting a sponsor.

However, after the episode was aired Bam went back to rehab. In June he was twice reported missing after leaving rehab.

On his Instagram account, a statement on behalf of his family was posted on August 7.

It said: “It’s no secret that Bam has struggled with mental health and addiction.

“You’ve watched Bam grow up and supported him through his ups and downs. Our family has let you into the chaos that is our home, and we want nothing more than to continue this journey together.

“The ‘Free Bam’ movement has caused confusion and threat to Bam and our families. Although we love sharing our lives with you, some things need to be handled privately, and treatment is one of them. Recovery is difficult and even more so under public scrutiny.

“Despite rumours, Bam has never been in a conservatorship but rather a temporary healthcare guardianship for reasons not shared with the public.

“If Bam chooses to speak to this, he will when he is ready. The ‘Free Bam’ theorists have encouraged his exit from treatment, despite their lacking knowledge of the details, his health, and well-being.

“We kindly ask you to respect the process and our family. As our extended family. We ask for you to support Bam in his recovery, to stay on track, and wish him well with his sobriety. With heart, The Margera Family.”

On September 4, Bam was spotted at a bar after leaving a treatment facility.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk