Johnny Knoxville's kids were scared after his Jackass Forever brain injury: 'Dad's not gonna do that anymore'

Johnny Knoxville is reconsidering his status as the reigning king of death-defying stunts.

"After the last concussion on Jackass Forever, which really gave me problems for 6 months," Knoxville told Michael Rosenbaum on his Inside Of You podcast, "I can imagine how it scared my kids."

Knoxville explained that "it was a traumatic brain injury with a concussion, brain hemorrhage, and I broke my wrist and ribs. Then the neurologist was like, 'You can't have another concussion.'" The infamous daredevil told his kids, "'Look, Dad's not gonna do that anymore.'" Some of Knoxville's stunts could potentially be fatal if executed incorrectly, but he "doesn't say my when my life's at risk, because I don't want to put that in their head."

Reps for Knoxville have not responded to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.

Knoxville was a struggling actor in Los Angeles before he stumbled into stunt work. Then to make some cash, he began testing self-defense equipment for Jeff Tremaine's skateboarding magazine Big Brother. Tremaine went on to direct Knoxville and several of the Big Brother crew, including Steve-O and Bam Margera, in MTV's first iteration of the Jackass TV show, but Knoxville always acted as the de facto leader.

After three seasons, a handful of TV specials, and roughly 10 films, Knoxville admitted to Rosenbaum that he got "addicted" to death-defying stunt work: "I think I did get addicted, eventually. The big stunts I got addicted to, and I'm still dealing with that.

The Jackass Forever stunt with left Knoxville with one of his most serious injuries to date involved him getting rammed and thrown into the air by a bull. Knoxville was also shot out of a canon, Sean 'Poopies' McInerny jumped over shark-infested waters on a wakeboard, Danger Ehren was electrocuted, several cast members lick tasers and kiss live snakes, and Steve-O was stung by a queen bee in a very private place.

Across the franchise, Knoxville has also suffered an orbital blowout fracture, a torn tendon and urethra, a herniated disc, and many broken bones. When asked by Rosenbaum how many concussions he's suffered over the years he responded, "I don't f---ing know. I'd say between 50 and, you know, 100?"

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When asked what truly makes him happy, however, his answer was much simpler. "Being at home with my kids and dog and hanging out with my girlfriend. And, like, when my daughter asks me to go in the backyard and hit volleyball with her, when my son asks me, 'Will you throw with me, Dad?

Rosenbaum noticed that Knoxville "got a little emotional" from that answer. He agreed, saying "that's another thing about me. I'm becoming so sensitive. I've cried, like, three times on Pretty Sure I Can Fly," his new podcast with Elna Baker. "It's like s---, man," he said, elaborating on the danger of his stunt work, "if you take if you keep taking chances, you only have so many chances you can take."

Knoxville has three children — Madison, with first wife Melanie Lynn Clapp, and a son and daughter with second wife Naomi Nelson, Rocko and Arlo. Nelson and Knoxville divorced after 12 years in 2022.

He told Rosenbaum that you "can't walk into a stunt being frightened of death," because "if you go into a stunt and you don't commit, it's really gonna be bad."