Bam Margera: who is Jackass star, why did he go missing in Florida, and where was he found?

The stunt performer is said to have left rehab without authorisation
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Jackass star Bam Margera has reportedly been found and picked up by police after he allegedly fled from rehab.

So, what happened, why was Margera in rehab, where was he found and who exactly is he?

Here’s what you need to know.

Where was Bam Margera found, and where is he now?

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Margera was found at a hotel in Delray Beach, on Florida’s southeast coast.

He was picked up by the police and a crisis intervention team, online newspaper TMZ reports.

The outlet reported that he went back to the rehab facility he had previously left voluntarily.

The star is said to have told the manager at the rehab centre that he was unhappy with the facilities and would be checking into rehab elsewhere before he left.

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It is said, however, that he wasn’t authorised to leave the treatment centre, which has not been named

It’s claimed in a Delray Beach police report, cited by TMZ, that the manager of the centre stated Margera went missing on Monday 13 June.

The website reports that Margera, who completed a one-year inpatient rehab program in May,  left the centre in a black var to check in at another facility at around 8pm.

Margera reportedly first entered the rehab facility in September under police escort, after authorities were called about an emotionally distressed person.

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Officials said Margera did not appear to be a danger to himself or others when he was found, and his friends and family were reportedly working hard to get him back into the facility, according to the New York Post.

Why was Bam Margera in rehab?

Bam Margera has been in rehab due to drug and alcohol issues.

He is alleged to be in rehab under a court order, with staff at the facility apparently concerned that he seemed to be leaving without authorisation.

Last month, Margera posted an image of himself on Instagram celebrating one year of treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, and said he planned on attending outpatient treatment classes for the following two months.

What has Bam Margera said?

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Margera has not responded directly to the reports that he fled rehab, but he has been active on his social media in recent days.

On Tuesday 14 June, he shared a photo to his Instagram Stories, taken several years ago, of himself and his wife Nicole and musician Machine Gun Kelly.

Margera also shared a photo alongside a man he called Dominick, who he said was his new Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, with the pair seen embracing and fist-bumping.

Both men were smiling in the photo, with the caption reading: “MMA fighter, chiropractor and ten years sober Dominick, is my new AA sponsor”.

Who is Bam Margera?

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Bam Margera, whose full name is Brandon Cole Margera, is a 42 year old television personality.

He is a stunt performer who has previously appeared in MTV’s Jackass, Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 2.5, Jackass 3D and Jackass 3.5.

The shows featured a cast of nine, including Margera, Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Jason Acuña, Ehren McGhehey and Preston Lacy, carrying out stunts and pranks on each other or the public.

He is married to wife Nicole and the couple have a four year old son called Phoenix.

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Margera has long had a history of substance abuse issues, and had to check into a hospital in 2019 to treat an edema apparently caused by excessive drinking.

Margera has also recently said he was seeking help for manic bipolar disorder.

What did Bam Margera say about leaving Jackass?

Margera claimed in 2021 that he was fired from Jackass 4 for not taking part in contract-mandated rehab, which were reportedly set by producers because of his addiction issues.

He also accused director Jeff Tremaine, as well as co-star Johnny Knoxville, of betraying him.

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He said: “My family, Jackass, has betrayed me, rejected me, abandoned me. Not all of them. I love all of them and they love me back. But specifically Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville.”

Knoxville responded to Margera’s claims in an interview with GQ later in the same year and said when members of the Jackass family are struggling everyone tries to help.

He said, however, that “at the end of the day, that person has to want help”.

He added: “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.”

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