Celebrity4 min(s) read
Published 17:18 25 Mar 2026 GMT
Serious concern for Bam Margera after reaction to 'devastating' joke about his dead best friend Ryan Dunn
Social media users have expressed concern after seeing Bam Margera's reaction to a "devastating" joke about his late best friend, Ryan Dunn.
A clip circulating online shows the 46-year-old Jackass star on Fishtank Live, a 24/7 reality show where contestants are "locked in a fully monitored smart house, terrorized by the audience" who interact with contestants by sending donations.
In the video, he is seated on a sofa with two women when a viewer sends a TTS (Text-to-Speech) message that plays aloud: "I'm Ryan Dunn, and this is the drunken flip challenge."
Upon hearing the message, Margera's face dropped as he looked down in response before continuing the conversation with his fellow contestants.
The Tragic Loss of Ryan Dunn
Dunn, a stunt performer and television personality best known for his role in the Jackass franchise, tragically passed away at the age of 34 in a car accident on June 20, 2011.
He was driving his Porsche 911 at high speed with production assistant Zachary Hartwell as his passenger when the car crashed through a guardrail in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania.
West Goshen Police Chief Michael Carroll described the accident as one of the most horrific scenes he had ever witnessed: "I’ve never seen a car destroyed in an automobile accident the way this car was, even before it caught on fire.
"The automobile actually came apart. It was unbelievable and I’ve been on a lot of fatal accident scenes. This was by far the worst I’ve ever seen," he added.
At the time of the crash, Dunn had been texting Margera, with his last message reading: "Stopping for a beer, be there when I can," per Hollywood Reporter. Unfortunately, he never made it to Margera’s location.
The day after the crash, Margera visited the site and said: "I’ve never lost anybody that I cared about. It’s my best friend... He was the happiest person ever, the smartest guy," The Mirror reported.
"He had so much talent, and he had so many things going for him. This is not right, not right," he added.
Later reports revealed that Dunn’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.196 - more than twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania.
His official cause of death was listed as both blunt force trauma and thermal trauma.
Social Media Outrage Over Fishtank Live Clip
The disturbing joke on Fishtank Live did not sit well with many people on X, especially after seeing Margera's heart-wrenching reaction.
"Man, it still hurts him he loved that guy," one user reacted, while another chimed in: "There's trolling and then there's being a p***k, there is no honor among some people getting a rise out of a guy over something deeply personal like Ryan's death."
A third shared: "Bringing up his dead best friend over and over again is pretty sadistic and gross."
Others pointed out how the prank appeared to target the reality star during a vulnerable moment.
"Super cringe donation, just begging for a reaction so desperate they gotta make fun of his dead friend. it didnt work he was fine," a fourth added.
A fifth user slammed: "I don’t know why you’d do that to a person who struggles with substance abuse over this exact event in his life. You people are vile."
Margera's Journey to Sobriety
Margera, who has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse for much of his life, celebrated one year of sobriety last September.
In an interview with TMZ, cited by Daily Mail, he opened up about his recovery journey, saying it was "never too late" to turn things around.
He admitted that he "took off a decade to basically party" before realizing the need for a change.
The support of his wife, fitness professional Dannii Marie, played an important role in his recovery. "She hates drugs and alcohol and is a stretch coach," he shared.
"I feel like I'm back in my 20s - skating better than ever. My legs are like 100 percent again," he reflected, adding that his daily routine now revolves around positivity and healthy habits.
"All it takes is just stay out of the bar, wake up, go to the gym, walk a dog, find a skate trip, just do positive things, and, you know, now everything is back to being fun again - you know?", he said. "I love it, and I do not miss drinking."