Steve-O said he earned approximately $1,500 [1] for the entire first season of the MTV series "Jackass."

The revelation highlights the financial instability of the performers during the early days of the stunt-based franchise. While the show eventually became a global phenomenon, the initial participants faced significant hardship while performing dangerous feats.

Stephen Glover, known professionally as Steve-O, said he was broke and homeless in the U.S. before the show premiered [1]. He said the payment for the first season was a "comical" amount of money given the nature of the work [2].

"It’s comical how little I was paid for the first season of Jackass," Steve-O said [2].

The series first aired in 2000 [1]. During that period, Glover performed death-defying stunts that would later define his public persona and the brand of the series. Despite the physical risks involved in the production, the financial compensation for the inaugural season remained minimal [1].

"I was broke and homeless before Jackass premiered—having earned just $1.5K for the entire first season," Steve-O said [1].

These comments were made in June 2024, reflecting on the contrast between his early struggles and the later success of the franchise. The disclosure provides a rare glimpse into the precarious economic reality of early reality television stars who lacked the leverage of established fame.

“"It’s comical how little I was paid for the first season of Jackass."”

The disparity between the risk taken by performers and their initial compensation underscores the early operational model of reality television, where production companies often leveraged the anonymity and desperation of participants to minimize costs before a show's commercial viability was proven.