Steve-O: Jackass Stunts, Sobriety, and Lost Teeth Explained

Steve-O turned a clown college diploma into a career defined by pain, laughter, and survival. From Jackass stunts to a 16-year sobriety streak, his public life is a study in extremes—broken bones, fake teeth, estranged friendships, and a reinvention that outlasted the chaos.

Full name: Stephen Gilchrist Glover · Born: June 13, 1974 · Profession: Stunt performer, comedian, television personality · Known for: MTV’s Jackass · Education: Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (1997)

Seven key facts outline Steve-O’s biography and career.

Who is Steve-O and why is he famous?

His early life and education

• Born Stephen Gilchrist Glover on June 13, 1974 in London, England (Wikipedia)
• He graduated from Ringling Brothers Clown College in 1997 (Wikipedia)

Rise to fame with Jackass

• He gained fame as a stunt performer on MTV’s Jackass (2000–2002) (Wikipedia)
• He has appeared in multiple Jackass films and spin-offs (Wikipedia)

Post-Jackass career

• He has toured with solo comedy and stunt shows (Wikipedia)
• In 2022, he released Steve-O’s Bucket List comedy special (Wikipedia)

The implication: His formal clown education gave him a foundation for physical comedy that Jackass simply weaponized.

What happened to Steve-O?

Health struggles and sobriety

• Steve-O entered rehab in 2008 and has maintained sobriety (Complex)
• He publicly discusses his addiction and recovery journey (Men’s Health (YouTube))

Relationship with Bam Margera

• Steve-O and Bam Margera were close friends and co-stars on Jackass (Business Insider Africa)
• Their fallout stemmed from Bam’s struggles with addiction and erratic behavior (MovieWeb)
• Steve-O has expressed concern for Bam’s well-being in interviews (TMZ (YouTube))

Current activities and tours

• He continues to perform stunts and comedy worldwide (Wikipedia)
• He remains active on social media, posting regularly (Steve-O (X post))

Is Steve-O still sober?

His path to sobriety

• Steve-O entered rehab in 2008 and has maintained sobriety ever since (Complex)
• He was prescribed 18 different drugs when he left the facility (Complex)

Ongoing commitment

• He publicly discusses his addiction and recovery journey in interviews and on social media (Men’s Health (YouTube))
• In 2022, he celebrated 13 years of sobriety (Complex)

Impact on his life and career

• Sobriety has allowed him to continue performing and touring (Wikipedia)
• He has said that getting sober changed his life and career (Men’s Health (YouTube))

Why did Steve-O lose his teeth?

The stunt that caused the loss

• Steve-O lost his front teeth in 1999 while performing a stunt involving a skateboard and a rope (Steve-O (X post))
• He has said that if you count teeth, he has broken 22 bones total; excluding teeth, the count is 12 (Steve-O (X post))

History of his fake teeth

• He had fake teeth made to replace the lost ones (Steve-O (X post))
• The missing teeth became one of his most recognizable physical features (Steve-O (X post))

How he explains it on social media

• He posted the story on Facebook, recounting the incident in detail (Steve-O (X post))

The trade-off: The same stunt that cost Steve-O his teeth also cemented his image as an unstoppable daredevil—a visual reminder of the physical toll behind the laughs.

Why did Bam and Steve fall out?

Origins of their friendship

• Steve-O and Bam Margera were close friends and co-stars on Jackass (Business Insider Africa)
• They performed together in multiple films and spin-offs (Wikipedia)

The rift over Bam’s behavior

• The fallout stemmed from Bam’s struggles with addiction and erratic behavior (MovieWeb)
• Margera was fired from Jackass Forever after allegedly breaking a sobriety agreement (Business Insider Africa)
• Margera later disputed his firing in a lawsuit against Paramount and Johnny Knoxville, which was eventually settled out of court (Business Insider Africa)

Public statements and current status

• Steve-O has said he has “nothing but love” for Bam but wants him to take accountability (Rock Feed / Facebook)
• Steve-O has lost contact with Bam after the public falling out (Business Insider Africa)
• Bam’s parents said he is doing “really well” and working on mental health and sobriety (LADbible)

The pattern: The Steve-O–Bam rift mirrors a broader tension within the Jackass fraternity—the line between a persona and a person’s actual struggle with addiction.

Timeline signal

• 1997 – Graduated from Ringling Brothers Clown College (Wikipedia)
• 1999 – Lost front teeth in a stunt (Steve-O (X post))
• 2000–2002 – Starred in MTV’s Jackass (Wikipedia)
• 2002 – Appeared in Jackass: The Movie (Wikipedia)
• 2008 – Entered rehab and achieved sobriety (Complex)
• 2010s – Toured with solo comedy and stunt shows (Wikipedia)
• 2018 – Married Meghan Wallace (Wikipedia)
• 2020–2022 – Released Steve-O’s Bucket List comedy special (Wikipedia)
• 2023 – Continued touring and creating content on social media (Steve-O (X post))

What’s clear and what’s not

Quotes

I had 12 broken bones if you don’t count teeth, and 22 if you do.

— Steve-O, on X (2015) (Steve-O (X post))

I became an attention-seeker who stayed abstinent from drugs and alcohol.

— Steve-O, in an interview with Men’s Health (Men’s Health (YouTube))

I have nothing but love for Bam Margera, but he needs to take accountability.

— Steve-O, on the TMZ Podcast (Rock Feed / Facebook)

He’s doing really well.

— April and Phil Margera, Bam’s parents, on his current status (LADbible)

For fans watching Steve-O’s story, the takeaway is this: continued sobriety and public engagement require owning past choices—a lesson the Jackass crew knows all too well. For aspiring stunt performers, the choice is clear: channel that daredevil energy into controlled performances, or risk the same fractures—physical and relational—that defined Steve-O’s early years.

Frequently asked questions