The Serious Injury That Made Johnny Knoxville Give Up Extreme Stunts
Prank shows have been a dependable genre for networks over the years. There's just something about watching a bunch of pranksters doing dangerous — and sometimes stupid — stunts. In 2000, the world was introduced to the "Jackass" crew, which included members like Johnny Knoxville, Steve O, Bam Margera, Jason Acuña, Chris Pontius, and more on MTV. The group of jokesters dared to defy the odds and performed death-defying stunts that catapulted them into superstardom.
Of course, there are limitations and repercussions for members who have put their lives at risk for the sake of entertainment. Paralysis from Steve O, Chris Raab's addiction issues, and Ryan Dunn's tragic death have been documented extensively. Despite the dangers, the "Jackass" crew have continued to bring joy to their fans with films 20 years later. "Jackass Forever" is set to be released in February, but Knoxville — who stars in the film — has sworn off doing stunts after a harrowing incident during production. Here's why.
Johnny Knoxville suffered cognitive damage
Ahead of the release of "Jackass Forever" in February, Johnny Knoxville has opened up about the injuries he sustained while filming the final film in the franchise. During an interview on "The Howard Stern Show," Knoxville revealed that he suffered from brain damage after attempting a bull stunt on the set of the film. Knoxville previously suffered concussions in 2018's "Action Point," per Entertainment Weekly, but this injury was more worrisome. The bull hit him right in the head during an outdoor ring, which saw him break his arm and ribs.
"I got a brain hemorrhage from that, so my cognitive abilities were in steep decline after that hit," he told Stern laughing, while adding the injury was "a tough one to come back from." Knoxville detailed that his cognitive impairments included a short attention span, meaning he couldn't recall a lot of things. The injury was a wakeup call for Knoxville, who had to undergo a dozen treatments to regain his cognitive skills.
In addition to his attention decline, the brain injury also caused him to have depression. "My brain was just playing tricks on me. I got really depressed and over-focused on things," he said, noting that he began taking an antidepressant "for the first time in his life." As a result of the impact, Knoxville's doctors have warned him that he cannot continue to risk his life doing stunts to which he agreed. "I don't have anything to prove," he said.