TV Bam Margera reveals he was 'pronounced dead' after suffering from pneumonia, COVID-19, and 5 seizures The Jackass star says he was put on a ventilator on Dec. 9. By Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where he covers breaking news, all things Real Housewives, and a rich cornucopia of popular culture. Formerly a senior editor at Out magazine, his work has appeared on NewNowNext, Queerty, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker. He was also the first author signed to Phoebe Robinson's Tiny Reparations imprint. He met Oprah once. EW's editorial guidelines Published on January 6, 2023 11:01AM EST Former pro skater and TV personality Bam Margera revealed that he was hospitalized with a serious case of COVID-19, complicated by pneumonia and five seizures. He was unable to breathe on his own and was placed on a ventilator on Dec. 9. Margera shared the news of his recent health scare when he sat down with his Jackass buddy Steve-O on the latter's podcast Wild Ride! Bam Margera. Michael Buckner/Getty Images "Basically, I was pronounced dead on Dec. 8," Margera told Steve-O. "Did not know that I had gnarly COVID and my body was shutting down. I went into four seizures, each one lasting 10 to 20 minutes. And on the fourth one I bit my tongue so hard it was nearly fallen off. It got so swollen and puffy it wouldn't fit in my mouth. And I was drinking the infected blood, which gave me pneumonia as well." At the time Margera, who is in recovery, was with a shaman, who took him to the hospital, where he had his fifth seizure. "I couldn't breathe without a tube down my throat. So I woke up five days later thinking I was there for just a couple hours," Margera said. "I spent eight days in there. Dude, when they took that tube out I felt like I sucked on Darth Vader's dick." Steve-O was worried Margera might not make it when he read the news of his hospitalization, joking that it would mess up his tour. However, Margera was released Dec. 10 and posted a photo to Instagram with the caption "I'm out!" Though perhaps best known for his association with the Jackass franchise, Margera was largely absent from 2021's Jackass Forever. He was fired from the project in August 2020 after failing a drug test for Adderall, and filed a lawsuit a year later against director Jeff Tremaine, star Johnny Knoxville, and studio Paramount Pictures for wrongful termination. Upon reaching a private settlement, Margera dropped the lawsuit last April. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Related content: Bam Margera drops lawsuit against Johnny Knoxville and Jackass team Bam Margera sues Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, and more over Jackass firing Johnny Knoxville still has love for Bam Margera despite public falling-out: 'I want him to get well'