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 jOSEPHINE

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oh please... stop it ..stop in... poor excuse for a man and for a husband.. just ride off into the serf somewhere..do the ladies of the world a favor..

By Magpie

They say that people who cheat don't feel worthy of their mate.
I guess its true for Jess.
I don't believe that a real man ever cheats on this wife, grow a pair of balls and just be honest and say I want to be with someone else.
Look at his past, his old shows, his old relationships, why would anyone be shocked that he cheated.

By Greg

Child abuse - Try it see if you like it! Remember your a 4 year old going thru this. Just ask a tortured adult POW on how it - physical/mental/emotional abuse affected their later adult lives.
I salute anyone who was abused and was able to live a normal life after.
I could not and it sounds like Jesse could not.

By KC

Thank you Greg, I agree, THOUSANDS OF POWS and abused children, and adults, don't use abuse for cheating or worse things.
Jesse, shame on you for going on tv to tell the world you're a liar and a cheat. Many men are but you don't see them on tv?
Be a man and walk away. Go back to the tart w/ the tatoos and live it up with a cold beer. Or, be quiet, walk away, and restart your life without chatting to the rag mags.

By Reggie

Jesse James west coast chopper main man he once build a car to fly like an airplane, Jesse James a kind and humble man who went to the middle east to spread love and peace and turned a Military humvee into a masterpiece, Jesse James and Icon and for the world to see he grew up on the tough streets of Long Beach just like me, he roam the streets at night while riding his bike, looking for love in all the wrong places with and empty stomach and a sad face Jesse had to defend for himself he even bought his school clothes as a kid because his mom and dad never did and with the blood of his great grand pappy running through his vains he begin to rob and steal basically anything it took to get a good meal,Jesse James was a tough kid he played football in high school and the coaches loved the way he hit and even though his football career was short lived his temper would soon land him in jail,but someone up there was watching out for Jesse and he would soon see not only did he have a reason to live but he was here to build Choppers, Jesse would soon get the break of his life a machine shop of his own and a beautiful wife SANDRA BULLUCK. West Coast Choppers would soon be his plan along with a tattoo in the palm of his hand that reads PAY UP MAN, and in his quest to be the very best he never forgot the people who meant the most in his life, the homeless.

man up Jessie.... go for a ride for about two years... do some good in the world... help feed the hungry... volunteer...

By bestwaytogetme

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Jessee sounds and acts like he is friends with Beavis & Butthead.

By Jan

Oh, boo hoo. Someone got on to you as a child so now it is their fault you treated your wife like dirt? Why don't you act like a man, accept the blame, and quit blaming others? Sandra,
keep this guy out of your life for good.

By jirey2

Oh Jessie "greast monkey" James...I grew up in a home like that too, my father abused my three brothers, more emotionally than physically, they are all good men and have good families. Sure we all have problems in a marriage, but who doesn't? No excuses, you are just a "hog", so keep on, keep on, with the trash you are used to dealing with, men and women....go back to your old live, no tears anymoe...no one cares.

By sanobahini

Why is it the cheating men always find excuses like childhood abuse after they get caught? Never before. They never apologise while they are doing the dirty deed, either. only after they get caught. Jesse, face up to it like a man. You screwed up big time. Quit the excuses.

Somebody needs to tell Jessee that he is not 14 anymore. Did he even finish high school?
Sandra: What were you thinking when you picked this little boy who still just wants to play?

By Tony Toto

Note to Jesse:
Ch 7 of "Rules for Aging", a thin little book by Roger Rosenblatt, is entitled "After the age of 30, it is unseemly to blame one's parents for one's life."

The actual text of Ch 7 is even shorter. It reads: "Make that 25."

By TONY

Jesse, you are supposed to be a man. Man-up and admit your just a c**t hound, and stop blamming your father. You don't see Veterns using excuses and I'm sure they endured much more than your pathetic little butt ever endured.

By seavet1

I have no sympathy for James but his behavior is consistent with an abused child. His father’s denial is irrelevant , parents who abused their children almost always adamantly deny they did anything wrong. This does not excuse his behavior, but Sandra Bullock is not playing with a full deck either, she had a relationship with him when he was still married and then went on to adopt a child knowing what he was. She couldn’t even adopt an American child; this was all about convenience for her.

I forgot, SHAME ON THE TV producers who used this crap to get people to watch their channel. And people? SHAME ON YOU FOR WATCHING IT. You know he's a liar and a cheat; so be it.
Why do people waste their time on these shows.

By FM King

AHA! The old "my Father abused me" defense. This is getting old! Time to be an adult & blame your sins on yourself...not on some supposed abuse that might actually have been a strict parent that didn't give their spoiled little brat everything they wanted! Sheesh! Grow up!

THIS ISN'T ABOUT SANDRAS past...
this is about Jesse cheating.
Let Sandra walk away as she has.

By D.

My father was a drunk that beat his wife and kids. I was sexually abused as a child. My first sexual experience was rape. I didn't turn out to be a depraved pig. Sorry Jesse, there are no excuses for hurting another human being because you were hurt.

Tuesday 01 June

By Brooke

He is an idiot and Sandra should be lucky to be rid of him! How about taking responsibility and blame yourself, not a situation that may have happened to you 30+ years ago. I'm sure that you have had time to get over it like a normal human being. Grow up, take responsibility and move on!

By john

Jesse....so how do you explain cheating on your other 2 wives...and now you suddenly realize you need to be introspective...give me a break!

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