Johnny Knoxville is being sued for “emotional distress” after he allegedly pulled a prank on a TaskRabbit Handyman while filming a new prank-based project in Long Beach.
As reported by Variety, a handyman named Khalil Khan filed a suit against Knoxville in the Long Beach Superior Court after being subjected to a “terrifying ordeal” during a repair job on TaskRabbit in October, where the homeowner asked him to fix a dimmer switch and threatened to beat him up if he didn’t properly repair it, saying, “I know jiu-jitsu.”
He then said a number of strange occurrences began happening, including a lamp going out, a young girl ran into the room screaming “You killed my pony”, his car was towed, and he was accused of housing illegal narcotics.
“At this point, Plaintiff was in a panic,” the lawsuit stated, per Variety. “In the span of just minutes, he had been threatened with being beaten up, told he botched the repair job, accused of murdering a pony, had his car taken without his permission, and was now being told that he would be arrested for possession of illicit narcotics.”
Following the ordeal, Knoxville appeared and revealed the entire scene to be a prank, complete with actors who were in on the joke.
“But Plaintiff was not amused, and remains unamused,” the suit stated. “He has been badly shaken and traumatized by this episode.”
The suit alleged that Khan has suffered lack of sleep, anxiety and emotional distress. He also fears that if the incident is ever released to audiences, he will be subjected to “embarrassment and ridicule.”
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Johnny’s legal drama comes following the more sobering Jackass star news that his former co-star and close friend Bam Margera has been hospitalised and placed on a ventilator after contracting both pneumonia and COVID.
As per TMZ, the professional skateboarder was admitted to hospital in San Diego earlier this week, and was forced to be placed on a ventilator as he battles the deadly illnesses.
Bam currently remains in the ICU but is in a stable condition.
It’s a worrying turn for Bam, who has made headlines of late for his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, which saw him dropped from Jackass 4. In July this year, July video went viral on social media showing Bam Margera partying after he first fled rehab which sparked a desperate search for his whereabouts.
Then in September, Bam relapsed once again after he was spotted leaving rehab once again to hit up a local bar.
For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer.