Steve-O heartbreakingly wrote on Instagram this week that he is ‘bracing’ for the death of his troubled Jackass co-star Bam Margera.
Margera, 43, who has had a rollercoaster history of substance abuse problems, is currently opening for Steve-O on tour.
But an Instagram exchange between the two revealed the cracks in their relationship, with Steve-O accusing Margera of falling off the wagon and declaring: ‘You’re dying, brother, and it sucks that I can’t do anything to save you.’
The back and forth began when Margera posted a throwback snap of himself sandwiched between Steve-O and their Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville.
Knoxville has lately had a fractious relationship with Margera, who sued him for wrongful termination from the 2021 film Jackass Forever but then dropped the case.
In the caption of his since-deleted Instagram throwback, Margera wrote: ‘One arm is a best friend who had my f***ing back all along, another arm is a poser. A pro creation thief. If Jeff tremaine was in this photo, he would be to greedy to fit.’
Jeff Tremaine, a producer and co-creator of the Jackass franchise, filed a restraining order against Margera in 2021 and accused him of harassment.
Margera wrote in his new caption: ‘F*** jeff. Remember I tattooed that on me long ago jeff? It’s because I knew who you were all along. @steveo much love and respect.’
Steve-O posted, then rapidly deleted, a lengthy comment revealing his heartrending response to his friend’s alleged behavior.
‘Bam, last night you had your five year old son with you on stage at my show, and you were blessed with the chance to spend another day or two with him – then as soon as you left my show, you stayed up all night getting loaded enough to think it was a good idea to post more vile nonsense like this,’ he began.
‘I hope you understand how awful that is. You say you want to have a relationship with your son, but your actions guarantee the exact opposite will happen.’
He shared: ‘I brought you on tour with me in hopes that I could get you to see what’s possible for you if you choose recovery. I’ve tried everything I can, but I can’t force you get honest and do the work of recovery.’
Crushingly, he concluded: ‘I wish you could know how much I’ve hated feeling braced for news of your death, but you’re making it clear that I have no other choice. You’re dying brother, and it sucks that I can’t do anything to save you.’
He deleted the comment but informed TMZ he still means what he wrote, adding that he remains open to helping Margera get sober if the latter gets serious about it.
Steve-O has taken Margera on tour with him, helping his troubled former Jackass co-star work on new material and comparing him to Britney Spears.
The 48-year-old comedian has made Margera — who claimed he was ‘basically pronounced dead’ at the hospital in December — his opening act on The Bucket List Tour, and the two friends are currently on the road.
The pair have been playing to packed houses across the country, launching Bam’s comeback after multiple stays in rehab and numerous health struggles.
In video obtained by TMZ, Steve-O recently stunned his audience at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon, last weekend when he brought Bam on stage and helped the professional skateboarder workshop his material.
Steve-O said: ‘My dear friend Bam here is new to the idea of putting together an act. So, I’m here to help Bam kind of figure this out. So, go ahead and introduce yourself.’
‘Well,’ replied Margera, ‘I’m Bam Margera and I am the Britney Spears of Jackass.’
The Viva La Bam star went on to explain his connection to the pop star, who was locked in a highly controversial 13-year conservatorship, in which she alleged mismanagement and abuse at the hands of her father.
‘…I’ve had a legal guardian make my decisions for a year,’ declared Bam. ‘A judge has stripped me from all my rights and I just completed my own rock and roll tour of ten different rehabs for a year-and-a-half in Florida.’
Sitting across from Steve-O on-stage, Bam proceeded to tell the audience that he got his credit card tattooed on his arm because it had been confiscated from him in rehab and jail so many times.
The ink ‘came in handy’ when Margera and his fellow rehab patients were taken to the movies.
‘They would not buy any of us popcorn or soda, so I come back out with all this motherf***in’ popcorn and soda and I gave it to everybody.’
Steve-O eventually posed a blunt and funny question that led to an emotional moment.
‘And with all the rehabs and the jails, what’s the plan now?’ he asked Bam, chuckling. ‘You see… I think I can peel back the curtain just a little bit here and share with you guys that the reason I wanted to bring Bam on tour is because I am real f***in’ worried about him.’
From there, Steve-O opened up to the audience and made a heartfelt speech to Bam: ‘It’s become extremely uncomfortable to be braced for the news of your death, Bam. I’ve been bracing myself for that f***in’ awful news and I can’t stand it, man.’
He continued: ‘So I wanted you to come on tour, stay close to me, see what’s possible, help you put together an act of your own.’
‘You’ve got this arc,’ Steve-O told Bam. ‘All these funny bits and jokes and stories. It all doesn’t mean sh** if it doesn’t have a happy ending where you fin’ come out the other end happy and healthy and a good father and fin’ thriving in your career.
‘And that is what I want for you brother,’ said Steve-O, concluding the powerful moment.
Rising from their chairs, the two friends embraced on-stage and resumed the show.
