The Jackass star 'slipped into depression' because of the stunt
Johnny Knoxville has revealed that he suffered brain damage following a stunt he filmed for Jackass Forever.
It was so serious that he had to "start medication for the first time" in his life.
This may come as a shock to some - because fans of the franchise will know that Knoxville and other members of the gang have put themselves in the way of harm a fair amount over the years.
However it turns out that Knoxville is not indestructible.
The stunt in question involved a bull charging at the 50-year-old (which of course won't be the first time Knoxville has had a coming-together with a bull). Although the impact this time was so severe that he suffered a broken wrist and broken ribs, plus a concussion that resulted in a brain haemorrhage.
“My cognitive abilities were in steep decline after that hit,” Knoxville told radio icon Howard Stern, discussing the harrowing incident.
"The bull hit was the worst hit I’ve ever taken from a bull or maybe period. I remember taking some tests.
"The neurosurgeon said, ‘Do you have trouble paying attention right now?’ I said, ‘Yeah, why?’ He goes, ‘Because you scored a 17 on [your attention].’ That’s out of 100.
“I had to go under all these type of treatments, this transcranial magnetic stimulation, which they buzz your head with these magnets for about 30 minutes at a time for like, oh God, I would say 10 to 12 treatments over a series of two months and it’s supposed to help with depression and help with my cognitive skills.
"It was a tough one to come back from. I was trying to edit the movie at the time but I couldn’t sit still.”
He said the impact was so bad that he "did slip into a little bit of depression" because of the concussion, something which hasn't happened to him before.
Knoxville continued, explaining: "My brain was just playing tricks on me. I got really depressed and over-focused on things. I did have to start medication for the first time in my life. It completely turned me around — that and doing therapy. It was a really hard recovery from this last injury but I’m great now. I feel like I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been.”
It seems like 20 years after the first film came out, Knoxville is showing no signs of taking things slower for the upcoming fourth instalment.
Jackass Forever is due to be released in cinemas on February 4.
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