Joe and Brandon, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, so much for sharing this very real and unfortunate information about Bam with us. I felt the need to leave a thoughtful comment after hearing this (it was a must-listen pod for me - basically everything I was hoping people would get real about in every other interview I've heard about/with Bam these past 10 years). To give some background, I've been a fan of Bam since I was just a kid in the early 2000s. I'm gonna be 26 this year, to give some perspective. Growing up, I idolized him as someone who was cool and simply knew how to have fun and grab life by the balls. I admired his family values. He had an innate kindness to him as well, even amidst all of the selfishness and fuckery. Even as a kid, I could see this. I thought he was so damn cool, and he was relatable to me. He looked kind of like me, the dude who never got the hot girl or invited to the "cool kids" party. Then, as I got older, my relationship to him as a fan changed. I started doing drugs and partying. I found myself wanting to put his shows on when I was using, to be honest. It was always the thing I had on in the background as I was getting it on. Kind of crazy that I just felt the wavelength of it, I guess. I've dealt with addiction and depression my whole 20s, plus physical bullshit to go with it. I've been depressed as fuck, trying to decide why I should live, and the friendship and camaraderie of those Bam/CKY/Jackass videos gave me a reprieve from some real-ass loneliness. Then I started trying to get clean, and as an artist myself (violinist and photographer), I found myself inspired by the documentary, do it-yourself attitude of Bam and his work. Having followed him for so long, I had heard he was in rehab, and being completely out of the loop of his life, I had begun to think he was sober or at least doing better. He talked about getting back into skating again. He talked about some stuff that seemed meaningful in some of his interviews, and I believed it. I noticed that Steve-O had some thoughts about Bam that he kept to himself but I didn't think anything of it. As weird as it sounds, I've got a lot of love for Bam. While it fucking breaks my heart to hear the truth of his situation, there's some real power in sharing that truth. Some real power in showing that Bam, despite having success and fame, is another lost boy who doesn't know what to do with himself, who is afraid to change. Cause let me tell you, how many times did I tell myself that if I was just getting laid or making money, I wouldn't be feeling this need to do drugs or feel so damn depressed and alone. What you guys shared illustrates how meaningless all that shit really is in the end. It illustrates how his fame has KEPT him from getting help. It must have been tough to share this stuff with the world. I imagine you might have felt like you were betraying him in a way. But to people out there with good hearts who care about Bam in some genuine way, this was crazy affecting. I've had friends die from this disease, and I'm trying my best not to. One last thing, I love what both of you guys are doing with your art! As a fellow filmer, I always look forward to Franz's content and I just love listening to him speak, the dude is down-to-earth and he keeps it real, I enjoy his knowledge of the filmmaking/entertainment industry. And to Novak, to see where you are now and the passion and zest you have for life is fucking rad dude. I hope to be fortunate enough to have a conversation with you gentleman at some point. Once again, THANK YOU for posting this
We need to stop with the idolatry of celebs. I, like everyone else, grew up with Bam. I also lost my best friend in 2012 and subsequently lost myself. I wish Bam the best but we need to realize that he doesn't give a shit about his fans. Never has. He is a child who will never run out of enablers. When he is spewing hate about his wife, Novak and his mom, remember that. Even at my worst, I would never treat the only people who truly loved and cared for me like that. Even his own child cant help him. I feel for him but I'm sick of his bratty bullshit.
I see you point of view but I'm one of them people that think that this was too much info that they clearly shouldn't have told otherwise it would already have been told. I grew up an addict watching him to death copying the fuck out of him blah blah. But I've always seen that Novak was just using bam and this betrayal of his personal life shows that combined with how bam stood by Novak helping him for 15 yrs and he gets clean and has to love him from afar. I've done the steps and making amends and the last step is to help others get clean he should focus on the person that has kept him alive and put him in the position he is in today. I'm just disappointed with the fact Novak takes commission on the 12tg step your bit ment to do it to make any profit your ment to do for the morals of it seems to me he just does it for the 15 percent he gets from each person he puts in rehab who had insurance getting 10 to 15 grand per person. Bam is having a meltdown and these guys are just blathering his personal life instead of helping him. But I totally understand what you mean I've always wanted to know the truth behind it from start to finish in one podcast and put it in order from start to know. Hope you see where I'm coming from. As someone who works the steps in sobriety if my best friend was in that position I would spend ten years on him just as bam Did for him. Good comment dude
Tony telling Bam to get help... wow.. what a moment in time.. heart breaking.. and as somebody who’s had his heart broken numerous times which always ended in a relapse.. I can relate so much
You guys do an amazing job, thank you for your stories. Would love to hear more stories about bam and his ladies, why he ever let missy get away? And how he met Nikki..
I hope Bam continues to improve and gets all the help that he needs. I'm glad he had Frantz and Novak (among others) to help him. Cky the band videos helped me in a time I needed it so I truly hope for the best for everyone from that band/movies. Love you all.
Hes above and beyond the most talented from the cky crew, legit put that series on the map. Dico needs to come out with his own podcast that shit would be awesome bam and dico should actually join the novak and frantz show.
Would be nice, but I don't think Dico likes nor wants to be in the spotlight.. I heard that in some interview/podcast on here and its why Dico hasn't really done anything in a decade+ or so...But who knows, one can hope!. Heres a quote... Joe Frantz also spoke about this in 2017, stating that DiCamillo formally renounced his affiliation with the CKY crew following the release of Minghags in 2008, opting to live a private life with his family.
I'd say it's most people (to an extent) in his (current) circle of friends, certainly no one from the CKY/Jackass days, or those he knew prior to fame!. Fame draws leaches/parasites and that is the nature of the beast, people just want a piece and no doubt are trying to exploit him at every imaginable way via his addictions and states of inebriation!. Bam is an alcoholic/addict, so he'll gravitate toward those types and vice versa, as "like attracts like and they're the only types of people that want to/can tolerate being around the alcoholic/addict.. Normal people don't wanna be around that kinda lifestyle/behaviors, etc and are the only types to condone that lifestyle/behaviors and when in that world we push away our real friends and family!. From what I gather, his family and some (real) friends are enabling and have been since the start of his drug/alcohol
I'm more then halfway through this podcast, and it still throws me off whenever I hear BJ talking so clear headed and logically... Its just so hard to get used to hearing his super distinctive voice, but no slurring or insane rambling trying to hit on women. Its absolutely amazing how far BJ has come honestly. Both him and Steve-O are fucking role models
Two years on and Bam is still in the shit. Hope he owns up and it happens for him, he keeps blaming everyone in the world for his state except himself.
Fuck dude this breaks my heart. I don't know why it seems different with bam self destruction. He would talk so much shit on novack for getting high that the hypocrisy would have been insane. Turned out that it was
The ONLY reason bam bam kept novak around was because then he could point at him and say at least im not like him... not so sure that is friendship, and i kinda feel thats bam mageras life story... he sourrended himself with people who he could point at and say look at him he is worse or weirder or more childish
I hope you guys get back together and commit him again because he fucked up again last night I'm sure you know from his Instagram that Boys losin it ps he was blasting Novak again real hard last night
Yeah dude totally agree other than that all Novak talks about is the 12 steps cause he wants more people to put in rehab 10 grand per person all always wondered why he was so keen to give out his personal numbers lol I think he's fake he was inky around him for money and fame
