Bam Margera, the creator and leading star of the Jackass franchise, filed a lawsuit against Viacom companies Paramount Pictures and MTV, alleging that he was illegally terminated from the Jackass Forever pic due to be released in Oct. in the attempt to take the movie franchise without compensating him. Court documents also name Jeffrey Tremaine, Philip John “P.J.” Clapp (p/k/a Johnny Knoxville), Adam H. Spiegel (p/k/a Spike Jonze), Dickhouse Entertainment, Inc., and Gorilla Flicks among the defendants in the case.
The suit was filed on Monday at the Los Angeles Superior Court with attorneys Eric M. George, Dennis S. Ellis, Katherine F. Murray and Serli Polatoglu of the Browne George Ross O’Brien Annaguey & Ellis LLP firm representing Margera.
The lawsuit states that Margera is seeking “redress through the present action for violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Labor Code, Civil Rights Act, and Unfair Competition Law as well as for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud and common law copyright infringement.” Margera says he suffered damages, including “economic losses, reputational harm, and emotional and mental distress” as a result of Paramount’s alleged disregard and discriminative practices.
Read Details About The Lawsuit HERE
At the time of Margera’s termination, Paramount had benefited in millions from three successful Jackass film releases. The relationship with Margera took a turn for the worst when he was admitted to a rehabilitation facility in 2019. Margera claims that Paramount, Jonze, and Knoxville coerced him into signing a “Wellness Agreement” in order to be included in the next film in the franchise.
If he didn’t sign, then he would be “cut from all future Jackass endeavors, including future film installments. This would, effectively, cut off Margera’s primary source of income and sole means of supporting his family, including his infant son. Having no other choice (as Defendants would not even permit Margera the opportunity to consult an attorney, let alone negotiate the Wellness Agreement’s terms), Margera signed the Wellness Agreement.”
“For months, Margera was obligated to complete daily drug tests, multiple times per day, both scheduled and unscheduled, requests for which could come in at any hour of the day or night. Margera was subject to countless breathalyzer and urinalysis tests, which he submitted to and passed repeatedly for several months without objection or incident. However, in doing so, his ability to travel, work, and effectively live life were completely constricted. Defendants went so far as to employ a doctor who FaceTimed with Margera every morning to ensure Margera took the cocktail of pills that Paramount’s medical team prescribed to him—pills that left him physically and mentally drained, depressed, and a shell of his former self.”
Margera, who suffers from bipolar disorder, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder, was informed that he tested positive during a drug test and was let go in August 2020. However, Margera says that the studio and production knew that he was taking the prescription Adderall, and had been doing so for years. The defendants did set up a $2.5 million trust fund for Margera’s three-year-old son, which represents 1% of the Gross Receipts of Jackass Forever, which is expected to gross a minimum of $250 million.
Jackass surfaced on MTV in 2000, with Bam Margera attached as creator, producer, and writer. The suit states, “Margera has been a fixture in the entertainment industry for more than two decades. In the 1990s, Margera, a 19-year-old, then-burgeoning professional skateboarder, combined his love of the sport with his proficiency in directing, producing and performing, and filmed a series of videos with his friends and family (the “CKY Crew”) featuring their content, stunts and pranks. The video series, comprised of four videos altogether, became an overnight sensation and caught the eye of Tremaine, who was then an editor of the skateboarding magazine Big Brother.
“Tremaine reached out to Margera, who, alongside Knoxville and Stephen Glover (known professionally as Steve-O), filmed the pilot episode of what would become the wildly popular Jackass television franchise. The pilot heavily featured Margera and members of the CKY crew, including Ryan Dunn, Brandon DiCamillo and Chris Raab, and spawned offers from Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central and MTV. A bidding war ensued, and, ultimately, MTV won out. Jackass premiered on the network in October 2000. Jackass earned record ratings for MTV right off the bat.”
As of recent, director of the franchise, Jeff Tremaine has filed a restraining order against his former friend and co-worker alleging that Margera threatened his life through a series of texts, according to TMZ. The order was approved by the judge and Margera is required to stay 100 yards away from Tremaine for three years.
“I am pissed-off, angry, hurt, and shattered that Johnny (Knoxville), Jeff (Tremaine), Spike (Jonze) and the studios and producers ripped off my creativity, content, and stunts to make this movie, fired me without justification, and refuse to pay for my work; I created this franchise before any of these guys ever got involved,” Margera said. “My lawsuit isn’t just about compensation. It’s about treating people with mental health and addiction issues in an honest manner and not taking advantage of their disabilities to rip them off.”
