Bam Margera’s substance abuse is scaring his older brother, who said the “Jackass” star “is dying” in a crisis of addiction, criminal charges and “strangers” enabling his behavior.
“I hope none of you ever have to hurt as much as me right now,” musician Jess Margera wrote in an Instagram story over the weekend. “He is dying and there is nothing I can do about it.”
Bam Margera is free on $50,000 bail after his arrest in suburban Philadelphia last week on charges of simple assault, harassment and terroristic threats. Jess Margera said the arrest involves his brother punching him.
The charges set off a furious social media exchange between the brothers, with Bam Margera claiming his sibling “will be sued for defamation” for “the false accusations,” and Jess Margera responding on Twitter that his injuries might be serious and he could take legal action himself.
“I might have permanent hearing damage from bams desperate lame ass little ‘attack’ while I was making coffee,” Jess Margera tweeted Sunday. “If that’s the case all of my bands upcoming touring income he will be sued for and I will fucking win. I’m not a fun enemy to have.”
Kevin Winter via Getty Images
The CKY drummer added that he’d donate any lawsuit proceeds to “mental health programs.”
He also ripped into his bother’s alleged enablers and singled out Bam Margera’s girlfriend, who was named in arrest documents as a victim of a terroristic threat.
Bam Margera’s struggles with addiction have been a concern to fellow “Jackass” mates for years, following the death of co-star Ryan Dunn. Margera was famously left out of the group’s fourth film, which prompted his admission of a “problem” and attempt at rehabilitation.
Some of the actor’s supporters accused his brother of being overly dramatic. Jess Margera wasn’t having it.
“All these strangers that don’t know bam will have to live with themselves if they enable him to his death,” Jess Margera tweeted Monday. “But they are strangers. So I don’t think they will be as affected by it as say me, or my parents or his son.”
“They will just shrug & then move on to the next tmz guy on drugs,” he continued.
He also reflected on his own problems with addiction, which he said he turned around in 2004 thanks to his daughter, Ava.
“I found out about Ava and it scared the shit out of me,” he tweeted Saturday. “A little human depends on me. I can’t fuck up. I’m so glad I chose to be a good dad instead of a selfish fuck.”
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.