Bam Margera Maintains Sobriety Through Skateboarding After Battling Alcoholism And Bulimia

During the height of his MTV fame, Bam Margera battled many personal demons. The 37-year-old Jackass legend sat down with VICELAND to discuss his struggles with alcoholism and bulimia throughout the years.

Bam Margera became one of the most popular skateboarders in the industry to jump to mainstream celebrity status with multiple television shows on MTV that saw him and his buddies pulling pranks, skateboarding, and doing stunts that injured their bodies for ratings.

Bam’s childhood friend, Ryan Dunn, died in a horrific car crash at which Dunn was driving 130 miles an hour when he crashed his 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 into the woods, according to TMZ. The horrific event became the catalyst to Margera’s out-of-control drinking.

“Whenever we’d film anything, it would always be me and Dunn brainstorming about how to be funny. And now that I don’t have that anymore? What am I going to do? Crack open a drink.”

Margera and his mother, April, revealed that in the early 2000s, Bam battled with an eating disorder, according to E News. The professional skateboarder revealed his struggles with bulimia during the recent episode.

Bam’s parents April and Phil Margera reflected on their son’s health issues and recalled how it first came to fruition.

“When you’re on camera a lot… people have a lot to say… He always wanted to have this very slim, slim look. A lot of it happened when he became good friends with [HIM singer] Ville Valo.”

From there, Margera said he began drinking more and more to curb his appetite, which ultimately manifested itself into behaviors associated with bulimia.

“Ville drank a lot… He’s the loveliest man ever, but he never ate. He just drank. I think Bam started sipping on a beer because he liked the way he looked.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRyU8vdrIss

According to Bam’s mom April, former MTV fixture seemed to be replacing eating meals with heavy drinking.

“We would go out to dinner and he would immediately excuse himself and go to the bathroom… I’d say, ‘Are you throwing up?’ And he says, ‘Yeah, yeah. Sometimes I throw up and that way I’m not gonna get fat.'”

Bam also recalled a time in London when woke up in the afternoon and watched Valo crack open a beer from the hotel’s mini bar.

“That was the first time I was introduced to day drinking.”

Margera added that he did not begin drinking until his mid-twenties.

“I didn’t start officially drinking until maybe 24 or 25. Then the rock star life and drinking spun out of control.”

In the interview, Bam recalled the moment his doctor told him that his bones were so dehydrated from drinking alcohol that they were like “dry-rotted rubber bands” and if he skateboarded again they just might “snap.”

In 2016, Margera migrated to Europe to get clean and rekindle his passion for skateboarding. Bam is thankful to be skating again after his struggle with alcohol addiction peaked during his five-year hiatus from the sport due to bone spurs.

During this time, Margera said his financial income came from sporadic nightclub appearances. Bam added that working in a nightclub environment also made it easier to fall back into heavy drinking. Margera is now sober and lives in Spain with his pregnant wife, Nicole Boyd.

Bam Magera And Nikki Boyd Pick Out Unique Name For Son

Bam Margera’s wife Nikki is pregnant with a little boy! The couple’s son will arrive in three short months. According to People, the former Viva La Bam star and his wife have already settled on a name for their son.

“We named the kid already, Phoenix Wolf.”

The dad-to-be said that “the name Phoenix just kind of followed” he and wife Nicole Boyd Margera “around.” Bam added, “I said it and everybody liked it, so we stuck with that.”

Margera first met his wife at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California. This is the same place his brother Jess Margera’s band CKY was performing. In addition to this, the group’s 2017 album was titled, The Phoenix.

Bam and Boyd Margera were married in Reykjavik, Iceland back in 2013. The baby will be their first together. The expectant mom is due this winter.

The parents-to-be hope to spend some time at their home in Barcelona, Spain after Phoenix is born. Until then, Margera is focused on preparing for fatherhood.

“I was really nervous at the beginning, but now I’m getting used to it… I’ve had a lot of help from my mom and dad. My brother has five kids already.”

[Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]