Johnny Knoxville Kids: Meet His Daughter Madison, Son Rocko and Youngest Child Arlo

Johnny Knoxville built his career by doing things most parents would strongly advise their children never to attempt. As the face and co-creator of Jackass, he became famous for dangerous stunts, physical comedy and a willingness to put himself through almost anything for entertainment. At home, however, Knoxville has described himself very differently. He is a protective father to three children, Madison, Rocko and Arlo.

Knoxville became a father for the first time in 1996 when he welcomed daughter Madison with his first wife, Melanie Lynn Clapp. More than a decade later, he expanded his family with his second wife, Naomi Nelson. Their son Rocko was born in 2009, followed by daughter Arlo in 2011.

The three children have grown up at very different stages of Knoxville’s career. Madison saw her father become famous while she was young, while Rocko and Arlo were born after Jackass had already become a major part of popular culture.

Despite his own stunt-filled career, Knoxville has made it clear that he does not want his children copying what made him famous. Instead, he has encouraged them to pursue education, sports, creativity and their own interests.

How Many Children Does Johnny Knoxville Have?

Johnny Knoxville has three children.

His oldest daughter, Madison Clapp, was born on January 4, 1996. Knoxville shares Madison with his first wife, Melanie Lynn Clapp.

His son, Rocko Akira Clapp, was born on December 20, 2009, during Knoxville’s marriage to Naomi Nelson.

His youngest child, daughter Arlo Clapp, was born on October 6, 2011. She is also shared with Nelson.

The age gap between Madison and her younger siblings is significant, but the three appear to have maintained a close relationship.

Madison has regularly shared affectionate messages about Rocko and Arlo as they have grown up. Her posts have shown that she takes her role as the older sister seriously while also joking around with them.

For Knoxville, having children at different stages of his life also changed the way he understood fatherhood.

When Madison was born, he was still a young man trying to establish himself professionally. By the time Rocko and Arlo arrived, Knoxville was already one of entertainment’s most recognizable stunt performers.

He has admitted that becoming a parent originally scared him.

That fear changed the moment Madison was placed in his arms.

Who Is Johnny Knoxville’s Daughter Madison Clapp?

Madison Clapp is Knoxville’s oldest child and was born in 1996.

Knoxville has spoken about how nervous he felt before becoming a father for the first time.

At the time, he was in his 20s and uncertain about whether he was ready for the responsibility.

Once Madison arrived, he said those fears disappeared almost immediately.

Fatherhood became something he grew into rather than something he completely understood beforehand.

Madison later developed interests in entertainment, though not by trying to become a stunt performer like her father.

She attended Oberlin College and has worked behind the scenes in creative production.

Her professional experience has included work in production, art departments, writing and related roles.

That gives Madison a connection to the entertainment industry while still allowing her to develop a career that looks very different from her father’s.

She has also worked with Knoxville professionally.

During production of the 2024 film Sweet Dreams, Madison spent time on set helping her father prepare.

She assisted with lines and reportedly stepped in to read dialogue during some of the movie’s more emotional scenes.

That experience gave father and daughter an opportunity to work together without Madison simply appearing on screen because of her famous surname.

Madison has also built a strong relationship with her younger siblings.

She has shared birthday messages for both Rocko and Arlo, joking about their personalities while also making clear how much she cares about them.

When Knoxville later remarried, Madison publicly expressed happiness for her father and his new wife.

Who Is Johnny Knoxville’s Son Rocko?

Rocko Akira Clapp is Johnny Knoxville’s only son.

He was born in December 2009 to Knoxville and Naomi Nelson.

Of Knoxville’s three children, Rocko may have inherited the strongest version of his father’s adventurous personality.

Knoxville has jokingly said that his son might possess what he calls the “Jackass gene.”

That is not necessarily something the stunt performer considers good news.

Knoxville has gone out of his way to prevent his younger children from watching Jackass while they were too young.

His reasoning was especially clear when it came to Rocko.

Knoxville worried that seeing his father performing dangerous stunts could encourage his son to try similar things.

That is the strange contradiction of Knoxville’s parenting life.

He built a career around doing reckless-looking things for entertainment, yet as a father, he wants his children to avoid exactly that behavior.

He has repeatedly said he would rather see them use their intelligence and build careers that do not require using their bodies as test subjects.

Rocko has shown athletic ability of his own, particularly in baseball.

One memorable example came during an appearance connected with Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Rocko, who was still young at the time, was challenged to strike out his father.

Knoxville initially seemed unsure that his son could do it.

Rocko proved him wrong.

After successfully striking out his dad, he earned an impressed reaction from Knoxville.

The moment showed a much softer side of the performer fans normally associate with painful stunts.

Instead of being the fearless Jackass star, Knoxville was simply a proud father watching his son succeed.

Who Is Johnny Knoxville’s Youngest Daughter Arlo?

Arlo Clapp is Knoxville’s youngest child.

She was born in October 2011 to Knoxville and Naomi Nelson.

Like her brother, Arlo has grown up mostly outside the intense public attention surrounding her father’s career.

Knoxville occasionally shares funny stories about her, though he generally avoids turning his children into permanent public personalities.

One of the most playful examples involved Arlo experimenting with makeup.

Knoxville has shown himself after allowing his youngest daughter and one of her friends to do his makeup.

According to him, that activity sometimes comes with an additional rule.

After finishing the makeover, the girls like to take Knoxville outside in public, usually somewhere such as an ice cream shop.

That means the Jackass star occasionally finds himself walking around fully made up because his daughter finds it entertaining.

Knoxville seems perfectly happy to play along.

Those moments reveal an entirely different version of his personality from the one audiences see in stunt-heavy entertainment.

At work, Knoxville may launch himself into dangerous situations.

At home, he is willing to sit still while his daughter gives him a makeover.

Arlo also appears to share a close bond with Madison.

Her older sister has posted birthday messages and childhood photos celebrating their relationship.

Despite the age difference, the Stallone-sized gap in generations has not prevented Knoxville’s children from maintaining a connected family dynamic.

Knoxville Is Protective of His Children

Johnny Knoxville may be associated with risk, but his approach to parenting appears surprisingly cautious.

He has described himself as a concerned and protective father.

At times, he has even used the term “helicopter parent” to explain how closely he watches over his children.

That protectiveness is understandable considering his professional experience.

Knoxville knows better than most people what physical injuries can do to the body.

His career has included broken bones, concussions and countless painful accidents.

He therefore has little interest in seeing Rocko or Arlo recreate his career.

Knoxville has been clear that his children will not simply follow him into dangerous stunt work.

He wants them to attend school, use their abilities and develop interests that belong to them.

Madison’s behind-the-scenes career already demonstrates that philosophy.

She entered entertainment without copying her father’s job.

Rocko has shown an interest in baseball.

Arlo appears creative and playful.

Each child is being allowed to develop a separate identity.

That may be especially important when your father is someone as recognizable as Johnny Knoxville.

Johnny Knoxville’s Family Life Has Changed Over the Years

Knoxville’s family story spans several different relationships and stages of adulthood.

He welcomed Madison during his marriage to Melanie Lynn Clapp.

Years later, he married Naomi Nelson and became a father again with the births of Rocko and Arlo.

Knoxville and Nelson eventually divorced.

In November 2025, Knoxville married costume designer Emily Ting.

His children have remained connected with him through those changes.

Madison publicly celebrated her father’s marriage to Ting, sharing her happiness for the couple.

That response offered another indication that Knoxville has maintained a strong relationship with his oldest daughter.

His family structure may have changed over time, but fatherhood has remained constant.

Knoxville has often spoken about parenting as one of the most meaningful parts of his life.

For someone whose career revolves around chaos, fatherhood appears to give him a very different sense of purpose.

Johnny Knoxville’s Kids Have Chosen Their Own Paths

Johnny Knoxville’s three children have grown up with a father whose career is almost impossible to ignore.

Yet none of them appears to be simply recreating the Jackass formula.

Madison has moved toward production and other creative work behind the scenes.

Rocko has demonstrated athletic ability, particularly through baseball.

Arlo remains young but has already shown a playful and creative personality.

Knoxville seems happy with that.

In fact, he appears relieved that his children are not rushing to launch themselves into walls or recreate dangerous stunts.

His comments about parenting suggest he wants them to benefit from the opportunities his career created without feeling pressured to imitate him.

That distinction is important.

Being the child of a famous entertainer can create expectations before someone has decided what they actually want to do.

Knoxville appears determined to let Madison, Rocko and Arlo make those choices for themselves.

For people searching for Johnny Knoxville’s kids, the answer goes far beyond their names.

Madison is his eldest daughter, born during his first marriage, who has developed a career behind the scenes in entertainment.

Rocko is his only son, an athletic teenager who appears to have inherited at least some of his father’s fearless energy.

Arlo is the youngest, known through occasional family stories that show her playful bond with Knoxville.

Together, the three represent the quieter side of a man best known for making noise.

Johnny Knoxville may have built his fame through chaos, injuries and outrageous stunts, but when he talks about being a father, the tone changes completely.

For him, parenting is not another stunt.

It is the role he takes most seriously.