Former Jackass star Bam Margera has taken a significant legal step in his ongoing family dispute, filing court documents in Los Angeles to modify his current custody arrangement. On Friday, April 17, 2026, Margera formally requested joint legal custody of his 9-year-old son, Phoenix. This latest Bam Margera custody battle update signals the skateboarder’s intention to move past years of supervised visits and FaceTime calls to play a more consistent role in his son’s upbringing.
In the legal filing, Margera expresses a desire to move beyond the restrictive “status quo” that has defined his relationship with Phoenix since 2023. Currently, his visitation has been largely limited to monitored sessions and short video calls. Margera told the court that a transition to joint legal custody is the only way to foster a “real, tangible relationship” with his child. He argues that his recent period of stability and commitment to his personal well-being makes him fit for a larger parental role.
The road to this filing has been paved with years of public and private friction between Margera and his estranged partner, Nicole Boyd. In 2023, a judge tentatively ruled that the pair were never legally married, despite a wedding ceremony in Iceland in 2013. This ruling shifted the focus of their legal battles primarily toward child support and custody. While Boyd has previously expressed concerns regarding Margera’s past behaviors, the actor has maintained that he has fulfilled his child support obligations currently set at $2,500 per month and is ready for more responsibility.
This move comes during what many are calling a “recovery year” for the 46-year-old entertainer. After a series of highly publicized legal and personal setbacks in 2024 and 2025, Margera has reportedly remained focused on his sobriety and his new marriage to Danni Marie. Legal representatives for Margera state that he has complied with court-ordered evaluations and is now eager to provide Phoenix with a stable, two-parent environment during his custodial time.
