Ville Valo Comments on Bam Margera’s Recent Struggles – ‘It Needs to Stop’
Former HIM singer Ville Valo addressed his old friend Bam Margera's recent struggles in a new NME video interview ahead of the Jan. 13 release of Valo's solo album under the band name VV, Neon Noir.
Saying that it was like watching Margera turn into a "monster," Valo expressed that "it needs to stop."
Years before HIM's 2017 breakup, the gothic rock band and Margera were heavily intertwined in their careers. More recently, however, the two parties appeared to be on shakier terms — Margera even suggested that following Valo's lead led to his alcoholism.
Watch the video down toward the bottom of this post.
Last week, Margera, the media personality and former Jackass star whose substance abuse reportedly got him fired from the latest Jackass movie, told fellow Jackass-er Steve-O he "basically was pronounced dead" after being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and pneumonia in December 2022. Margera was in and out of rehab last year after completing a 12-month stay.
This week, when asked if he still keeps in touch with Margera, Valo explained, "I haven't heard from him in a while. I think the last time around I saw him was during our last tour in the States with him, which was in 2017. We tried to contact him. … But I haven't been able to reach out in that sense or talk to him."
The former HIM singer continued, "I'm hoping he feels better because he's a nice guy. He's a sensitive, special fellow. And it's just sad to see that he's turning into the monster that he's turning into. I think I can understand some of it, but it needs to stop."
Valo added, "It's not going to lead to anything better or anything beautiful. He's got a beautiful family — both his own and then his parents [Phil and April Margera] and his brother [CKY's Jesse Margera] and all that stuff. And he's got a lot of people that care about him. So I'm hoping he can take a break from all the extracurricular activities and concentrate on the essentials."
Watch Valo discuss Margera at 23:55 below.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug and/or alcohol dependence, help is available now through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. Call 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text to 1-800-487-4889.