What We Know About Johnny Knoxville's Divorce After A Decade-Plus Of Marriage
For somebody who puts everything out there on camera, Johnny Knoxville likes to keep his personal life surprisingly private. The stunt man, pro-wrestler, and actor, shot to fame courtesy of MTV's "Jacka**." He co-created the show and starred in it with the OG cast, alongside Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, and Bam Margera. The show ran from 2000 to 2002 and spawned a slew of spin-offs in addition to big-screen adaptations.
"Jacka**" was renowned for the multiple outrageous, humiliating, and dangerous stunts the cast performed. However, Knoxville admitted they all had specific "irrational fears" and weren't willing to just do anything. He told NME that Steve-O would "let you put a hook in his mouth," jump out of airplanes, and wrestle with sharks, but drew the line at bungee jumping. Even in 2021, Steve-O intentionally paralyzed himself in a stunt involving a four-inch needle inserted into his spine.
Steve-O, Dunn, and Margera were among the people who were severely damaged by "Jacka**" and battled with substance abuse issues. Dunn lost his life in a 2011 drunk driving accident. Margera's marriage ended, and Steve-O had several brushes with the law. Of course, Knoxville didn't escape unscathed. He suffered a brain hemorrhage, depression, concussion, and broken bones while filming "Jackas** Forever." Knoxville announced he was retiring from the stunt world in May 2021, and that wasn't the only significant life change that year; he also split from his wife. Here's what we know about Johnny Knoxville's divorce after a decade-plus of marriage.
Johnny Knoxville's divorce was his second bad hit
People first reported that Johnny Knoxville was divorcing after a decade-plus of marriage. According to court documents, Knoxville and his wife, Naomi Nelson, officially split on September 24, 2021, which would have been their eleventh wedding anniversary. Knoxville, whose real name is Philip John Clapp, requested joint custody of the two children they share together, son Rocko and daughter Arlo. It's the actor's second divorce; he was previously married to fashion designer Melanie Cates. The couple was together from 1995 to 2008. They have a 26-year-old daughter, Madison Clapp, a writer and actor who's collaborated with her dad on various "Jacka**" projects.
In a January 2022 interview with Howard Stern, Knoxville opened up about his challenging and traumatic recovery from the brain damage he suffered while filming "Jacka** Forever." After being tossed into the air by a charging bull, he was left with a brain hemorrhage, broken wrist, and crushed ribs.
Knoxville admitted that Nelson and the rest of his family weren't "happy with the stunts" he did. However, he said the bull incident was probably "the worst hit I've ever taken from a bull or maybe period." He shared that he'd fallen into a dark depression following the brain injury. But, Knoxville's life was "completely [turned around]" thanks to a combination of medication and therapy. "It was a really hard recovery from this last injury, but I'm great now," he said. "I feel like I'm the healthiest I've ever been."