New York, NY- April 16, 2009 – MTV continues to experiment and break the mold in documentary filmmaking with the release of “Steve-O: Demise and Rise,” a self-documented look inside the mind of a man struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. This explosive special gives a raw, intimate first-hand account of Steve-O’s downward spiral to when he ultimately hits rock bottom and is saved by the intervention of friends and his own will to do whatever it takes to get – and stay – sober. “Steve-O: Demise and Rise” airs on Sunday, May 3rd at 10pm ET/PT.
“Addiction is a brain disease that kills. Steve suffered from the profound consequences of long-standing polydrug addiction. The disease brought him to the edge of sanity and one night nearly took his life,” said Dr. Drew Pinsky. “His recovery has been an inspiring but gut-wrenching process. Steve remains an inspiration to all. Those that have come to know him through this process love him.”
“This documentary captures the most frightening moments of my friend at the apex of his addiction. I know because I was there,” said Johnny Knoxville. “More importantly though it offers hope, and documents the tremendous amount of courage and hard work on Steve-O’s behalf to turn that hope into a healthy person.”
Steve-O, a self-professed ham in front of the video camera, never leaves home without it. Since his early teens, Steve-O has captured moments of his life on tape, including everything from his days as an amateur stuntman and flea-market clown to his rise to fame as popular member of “Jackass” and “Wildboyz.” Consequently, the darkest hours of Steve-O’s life are also captured. Viewers will see moments of extreme substance abuse, including the marathon nitrous oxide sessions, terrorizing his next door neighbor, his ill-fated attempt at being a gangsta-rapper and several infamous public displays of self-destructive behavior. All of Steve-O’s antics lead to his friends stepping in, turning off the camera and forcibly admitting him to the medical center where he was forced to begin the process of learning to live sober.
Since his intervention, it hasn’t been without hurdles that Steve-O has tried to stay clean, sober and focused on making amends to those closest to him hurt by his addiction — his family and friends. Steve-O’s journey has taken him through highs and lows, and this documentary follows them all, right up until his first performance this year on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” Now faced with the daily challenge of living a clean life while still being the Steve-O that everyone loves, he wants it to be known that he is not the poster child for drug addiction or recovery but wants to show how truly difficult it is to stay sober every day.
“Steve-O: Demise and Rise” is executive produced by Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, Stephen Glover and Derek Freda for Dickhouse Entertainment. Tim Healy and Dave Sirulnick are Executive Producers for MTV.