Former Jackass star Bam Margera was involuntarily taken to rehab on Sunday after police responded to an incident at a Tampa Bay-area hotel.
A spokesperson for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office told Page Six that officers responded to a report of an “emotionally disturbed person” at the Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
“When deputies arrived, they were informed that Mr. Margera had an ex parte order, which is a judge’s order for court-ordered rehabilitation,” the spokesperson explained. “Those are taken out by a third party on behalf of the person.”
Last month, Margera filed suit against the producers of the upcoming Jackass film claiming that his exclusion from the project was the result of mental health discrimination. He specifically claimed that Paramount Pictures, MTV Networks, Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, and other associated entities violated his civil rights when they forced him to sign a “Wellness Agreement,” required him to go to rehab, and then fired him after a positive drug test.
“I went there thinking I was going to do 30 days, but they insisted that I do 90 days,” Margera told TMZ of his previous trip to rehab. He claimed that he was prescribed 18 different medications, which led to suicidal thoughts. “It was the definition of torture,” he said of the experience.
Jackass leader Johnny Knoxville responded to Margera’s claims, saying in a statement, “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. I just want him to get better.”
