Jesse James Claims He Was Abused By His Father

By PopEater Staff Posted May 26th 2010 07:13AM

Jesse James saved the worst for last in his first interview since his marriage to Sandra Bullock fell apart, telling ABC's 'Nightline' that he was the victim of abuse as a child. "I was a terrorized kid," he said. The former reality star said he entered rehab earlier this year for sex addiction and anger management, but mostly needed to deal with his childhood, which he claims was filled with beatings at the hands of his father. He told ABC's Vicki Mabrey that memories of the alleged abuse influenced his self-destructive decisions.

"I grew up with a huge amount of shame and fear and abandonment on my shoulders from a very young age, and I think, you know, the way my mind rationalized [cheating], 'Well, you know, I might as well do whatever I can to like run her off cause she is going to find out what I am anyway and leave me anyway,'" James said.

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He said all his cheating stemmed from his "emotional shortcomings," as ABC put it.

"The struggle within myself for the things that I did ... to damage marriage and my life and everything else, it's all me," James said. "I'm doing it because, you know, I've basically never felt good enough for anyone."

James said he went into rehab with a "bit of an ego," but after a few days, "I realized, 'Wow, I'm kind of more messed up than most of the people here.' It was like peeling an onion. Every day it was a new revelation about myself and the things I've been doing," he said. "I cried more in rehab in the last 30 days than I have in my whole life. No BS. That's the truth."

After talking with counselors about his memories of abuse, he began to realize its impact on him.

"Bike builder, 'Monster Garage' TV star, all that stuff is a huge smokescreen so that people won't see that I'm a scared, abused kid, a seven-year-old," James said. "He beat my ass pretty good a bunch of times ... I just remember, like, clinched teeth, strained-neck look on his face," James said. "My whole childhood, I never had a chance to be a kid. ... I was always scared."

James' father, Larry James, strongly denied the allegations of abuse in an e-mail to ABC.

James said he "knew it was horrible" to cheat on Bullock but continued to do so out of desire to derail his life because things were too good.

"It made me feel horrible," James said of the infidelities. "And I knew I would get caught eventually, and I think I wanted to get caught. I don't think, I know for a fact now what it was. It was me trying to self-sabotage my life."

He went on to say he doesn't believe he has a sex addiction in the sense that he was out trying to find any sexual partner. The infidelities, he said, were just one piece of his dysfunctional life.

"I think I do things to sabotage my life, including having extramarital affairs, texting, overworking myself, injuring myself, doing stunts and stupid things. I think I do a lot of things in my life that I shouldn't be doing that aren't conducive to being a perfect husband, you know, and the affairs are just one of them."

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Sandra Bullock Snapshots

©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM Jesse James and his daughter Chandler return from a trip to the Southern United States. Was Jesse there to finalize his divorce, or were Jesse and Chandler visiting Sandra Bullock and her adopted baby Louis Bardo? EXCLUSIVE May 13, 2010 Job: 100513NB2 Los Angeles, California www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

CHRIS/bauergriffinonline.com

Sandra Bullock Snapshots

In this publicity image released by ABC, correspondent Vicky Mabrey, left, is shown with Jesse James, husband of actress Sandra Bullock during an interview for "Nightline," on Wednesday May 12, 2010 in Long Beach, Calif. The interview will air on Tuesday, May 25, at 11:35 p.m. EST on ABC. (AP Photo/ABC, Patrick Wymore)

Sandra Bullock Snapshots

Sandra and Jesse Snapshots

Sandra Bullock Snapshots

Tags: jesse james, nightline, sandra bullock

Comments

(421)

Wednesday 26 May

By Vicki

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Sorry Jesse, just a lame excuse for your actions.. I don't think alot of people will buy it.. You cheated, you got caught.. End of the story.. Sandra is moving on!! You need to too..

By Dee

You people confuse reasons with excuses. I think he is redeemable. He has been in AA for years and is able to do that level of self reflection and course adjustment. He just now realized that he medicates his emotions with more than just alcohol. Sex addiction is real and it doesn't have a whole lot to do with sex. Your understanding it or not doesn't change anything. He is doing the right thing. That doesn't mean Sandra needs to get back with him--that's her decision. It is not something he will get fixed overnight, it will take years and he is likely to relapse until he feels good enough about himself to stay "sober".

By liz

you know you really don't know whats happen to people in their lives growing up. i know this because it happened to me and my brothers growing and i know first hand on how it affects your adult life.its sad and if maybe he would have told her before how he grew up she might have understood.

By tlp

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

to you who say it's just a excuse has never been abused as a child. When you are abused as a child is molds you for what will happen as a adult- at least he wasn't a abuser himself. I know first thing what a childhood tragedy can do to yourself. Of course his father will deny it. and besides Sandra knew what she was getting into when she married him- it's not like she had no idea. he was like that before they met and she acts shocked but she knew

Wednesday 02 June

By whatever

sure she is moving on but he has legal rights to see the child either way- i feel sorry for any men you know

By hey it's me

Vicki...amen to that...he is such a poor excuse of a 'man' and he wants people to feel sorry for himself..well boy...it aint workin' what a pathetic piece of crap you are Jesse...leave Sandra alone..she is moving on WITHOUT YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By k

Yeah, just another one using the "I was abused" excuse for acting like a moron. My father yelled at me too, but I ain't stickin' my wand in every tattooed lady that goes by. And, by the way, lil' Jesse should take some speech lessons. If I hear another "like, you know," my heads gonna explode.

By Lisa

I had a traumatic childhood, but I still don't cheat on my husband (with several women) or beat my kids. So sick of celbrities using that as an excuse. He had a great woman and what he did to her was just as bad as what his father did to him. You suck Jessie!

By Tory

Why is anyone even giving this bum the time of day. He is getting exposure which is what he wants. He gets no pity from me.

By JGM

amen, such a loser that he has to make up excuses

By Jimbo

He hasn't asked to be excused for his behavior, he has owned up to it. I also know about trying to be the "good son" to an abusive father who later disowned me also for my effort. I didn't do what Jesse did, but I also know the powerful effect such abuse has. It changes who you are. Jesse is being honest here and asking for nothing else. Hope he can fix himself.

By ally

Vote down Vote up Report this

Amen! excuses, excuses. It's not like we can trust him to tell the truth. I think Sandra would be a fool to take him back. How could she ever trust him again?

By Jo

Selfish and self absorbed. If he truly regretted the actions which lead to the destruction of his marriage and was concerned about Sandra at all he wouldn't have done the interview in the first place.

By Jim

I understand what he's talking about. Even though he's responsible for his actions, and he is, we grow up knowing and learning 'what we live'! Sometimes it's pure hell and most of us retain the lessons and relive them. Everyone doesn't have the "mental care' needed to deal with it. He is redeemable and rather than condemn the man, I choose to berate the actions and pray for persons involved.

By Alena

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

This is for "whatever"...he has zero legal right to her child as she did a single parent adoption. End of story.

By ernie

I agree with you Vicki. Always makes me laugh when people f**k up and put the blame on other thinks...

By Heather

I agree with you. His excuse is lame. His behavior is inexcusable to say the least. Even if he had childhood problems, he got a good woman, Sandra bullock by his side to help him forget his problems and move on. I am a Christian woman, and it is my belief that if he went through all he said he went through, then God gave him a good woman to help him forget his troubles and move on. He is just plain wild and nasty.

By Kathleen

I'm surprised that I believe him but some of the things he said hit home - hard. My mother was also extremely abusive and when he described the look on his father's face I could see my mother. I have never been a sex addict but can see how my childhood led me to some very bad decisions. 3 marriages and 3 failures. When you are told all of your life that you are worthless and a failure you believe it and set yourself up for failure. He and Sandra may never get back together but I hope he keeps up his therapy and learns to look at himself in a different light.

By Paula Payne

I agree with Dee, and I also want to add that not everyone deals with the same problem (being abused as a child) in the same way.

By Virginia

Vicki - my sentiments exactly! I also would cry if I lost such a lovely person and rich at that!

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