Bam Margera, one of the original stars ofJackass, has suedJohnny Knoxvilleand others for what he alleges is a wrongful firing from the upcoming film,Jackass Forever.
The 41-year-old star was fired from the franchise last year after testing positive for Adderall, a supposed violation of his “wellness agreement,” which he signed with the film’s producers.
Margera, who has struggled with substance abuse and been in and out of rehab, alleged in his lawsuit that Jonze, Tremaine and Knoxville “accosted him and coerced him into signing a draconian ‘Wellness Agreement.’ " If he didn’t, he claimed, they told him he would be cut from all futureJackassprojects.
Bam Margera (L); Johnny Knoxville.getty (2)
Additionally, Margera alleged he wasn’t provided the opportunity to consult his own attorney before signing the document.
Representatives for Tremaine, Knoxville, Jonze and Paramount Pictures did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Johnny Knoxville with the cast ofJackass Forever.paramount pictures/ youtube
Margera also claimed in his suit, according to court docs, that he was required to complete daily drug tests, “multiple times per day, both scheduled and unscheduled” for months.
Margera claims his wrongful termination came after he tested positive for Adderall, something he said Tremaine, Knoxville, Jonze and Paramount “knew full well” he was taking to treat his attention deficit disorder.
“Paramount’s inhumane treatment of Margera cannot be countenanced,” the lawsuit read. “Margera was made to endure psychological torture in the form of a sham Wellness Agreement, and then ultimately terminated for his protected class status due to his medical condition, and his complaints about Defendants' discriminatory conduct towards him.”
In June, Tremaine, who is directingJackass 4, wasgranted a three-year restraining order against Margeraafter the latter allegedly sent him and his family death threats.
In addition to threatening messages, Tremaine claimed Margera called his colleague and said “he has ‘powers as a wizard’ and ‘can create and strike lightning’ while speaking at times using numbers instead of English.”
“Bam- the two people you’re saying wronged you (Knoxville and Tremaine) are the same two people who organized the intervention which saved my life,” Glover wrote. “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.”
“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,” he added.
Gero Breloer/AP
That same month, Knoxville toldGQthe death ofJackasscast member Ryan Dunn, who died in 2011 in a drunk driving accident, was “heartbreaking” and served as an impetus to help his friends who were struggling with addictions.
“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,” Knoxville told the outlet. “He’s a different, different man.”
He continued, “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.”
As for whether he was speaking about Margera, 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,” he added. “I just want him to get better.”
Jackass Foreveris in theaters everywhere on October 22.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
