Jesse James interview part 1. More videos are below
We’ve seen plenty of clips from Jesse James’ Nightline interview, which finally aired last night. Among the advance details that were strategically revealed was the fact that Jesse thought he wanted to get caught and that he was sabotaging a good life, and that he denied being racist, as could be assumed by that Nazi salute photo and all the eyewitness accounts of him hurling racial slurs. Now that the full interview has aired, we’re hearing Jesse’s excuses and rationalizations for his bad behavior, primarily that he was abused as a child and lived in fear of a father with rage issues. According to Jesse, the childhood abuse lead him to feel like he wasn’t good enough for Sandra and to act out behind her back. Jesse says he’s not a sex addict, though, and that the infidelity was part of other bad behavior he was engaging in to “sabotage” his life. E! Online has a good summary as well as more quotes from Jesse:
Not that Jesse James is making excuses at this point, but he has finally offered up a bit of the psychology that may have contributed to the relentlessly thoughtless chain of behavior that resulted in his current celebrity-pariah status.
Discussing the reasons why he checked into a treatment facility in the wake of his cheating scandal, James admitted that anger management and so-called sex addiction were two of them.
Another, he says, was that he’s a victim of childhood abuse and needed to stop letting it dictate the course of his personal life.
“My whole childhood I never had a chance to be a kid,” James, who lived with his dad after his parents divorced, said during his tell-all interview that aired on Nightline Tuesday.
“I remember the clenched-teeth, strained-neck look on his face. He beat my ass pretty good a bunch of times. Football star, bike builder, Monster Garage TV star—all that stuff is a huge smokescreen so people won’t see that I’m a scared, abused kid, a 7-year-old.”
His father denied the abuse allegations in an email to ABC.
But James bluntly and, at times, quite emotionally related his memories of growing up, including breaking his arm at the age of 7 when his father was chasing him through their house.
“I remember my dad laughed when I hit the ground and called me a dummy,” said the burly entrepreneur, whose demeanor was more stoic than anything else when he nearly made it to the finals of Celebrity Apprentice last year.
“It wasn’t getting the s–t beat out of me…It was the in-between time, the fear of that happening again. I was a terrorized kid. It’s really tough for me to think about now, because…” James trailed off, tears welling in his eyes.
“Sunny’s the age that I was…when my dad broke my arm,” he said before interrupting the interview to take a break.
As for the antics that made him more notorious than merely famous in recent months, at least James isn’t blaming sex addiction, saying he knows he doesn’t have a clinical condition.
“I don’t think I have a sex addiction where I’m running around trying to have sex with everyone and I can’t stop,” he explained.
“I think I do things to sabotage myself, including having extramarital affairs, texting, over-working myself, injuring myself, doing stunts and stupid things. I do a lot of things in my life that I shouldn’t be doing that aren’t conducive to being a good husband. The affair is just one of them.”
He said that he still has hopes of “saving some kind of relationship with Sandy,” but also said that there’s no way of salvaging their marriage.
“Absolutely not, we’re getting divorced,” James said, his signature bluntness at the surface once again.
[From E! Online]
As I’ve said before, James seems kind of dumb to me. The thing that surprised me about this interview was his little p*ssy voice, as Kaiser puts it so well. The guy is not the sharpest tool and had trouble expressing himself at times. He did seem more human to me after watching this, though, and I can see what Sandra sees/saw in him. James did some terrible things to the woman he loved, but does that make him a terrible person? James being abused as a kid or not being in touch with his feelings of inadequacy doesn’t excuse the way he acted out and betrayed Sandra repeatedly over the years. Sandra seems to realize this, and James said that there’s “absolutely” no chance of them saving their marriage. I hope she finds someone who will treat her with respect behind her back as well as to her face.
excuses… excuses…excuses.
he’s obviously only bringing up his childhood to play the sympathy card. Hes lost a lot of business and money b/c of this and I think he’s just trying to save face/his business. Not buying it and I have no sympathy for him.
Its ok. You have made your points, we are all human and bound to make mistakes. The best thing to do is to learn from your past mistakes and make amends. Never share your bed with any irresponsible home wreckers.
I know, I KNOW I shouldn’t but I kind of dig him and I am still really hoping that the reunion is going to happen! Fingers crossed.
What’s up with that self pitty public campaign ?
A 40 year old MAN whining and indulging himself in a pittiful public display of self belittelment and martyrdoom. How pathetic.
Get some ‘cojones’, deal with the consequences like any sane adult do and move on. Trying to get some sympathy from an audience in your bedrom affair is sooo lame to begin with !
The things that happened to him sound horrifying, but at some point you have to be able to let that stuff go and focus on what you have in your life as an adult. This guy had it made and he blew it. It’s probably a good thing he got some counseling because it sounds like he needed it. Maybe it will help him get his stuff together and be a better father in the future. But yeah, he lost a great woman, and she suffered because of his poor choices.
Well at least he has learned a lesson from all this. It’s a good thing he went to rehab, it made him see all the stuff he had built inside in. By no means should Sandra go back to him, she deserves better, she cannot fix him.
I only heard him for the first time yesterday and he does NOT sound like he looks. It’s not even so much to Cali accent. I imagined a bass-baritone timbre, but instead it’s tenor.
Anyway, I guess our eyes are in front of our heads for a reason.
This whole thing is just so sad :(.
I get what he is saying, I really do. However at some point in a persons life, you have to make the choice to ‘fix things’ or not. And sadly it took the loss of his family to push him to fix things. But now the real work starts.
Hopefully he will be able to fix what is broken in himself to become the father he wants to be, and the person he wants to be.
We all know talk is cheap, and it is gut wrenching work to actually do what you need to do.. so for his kids sake, I hope he can.
hey, we’ve all spent our share of time locked in the closet, etc…that doesn’t excuse douchebagism.
own it ya creep & stop being a p#ssy! 🙁
plenty of folks have been through terrible things… it’s no excuse.
Jesse?
Nut up, grow up, and shut the F* up.
In every step of this scandal he’s reminded me of my ex, even the name… and now the voice and the excuses are the same, too. I didn’t buy it and I’m so glad Sandra hasn’t either.
I know I shouldn’t feel for him but I DO!
I watched Tiger Woods and never once thought he was sincere but I believe Jesse is. Is he messed up? absolutely! Does he love Sandra? Probably- as much as he can love anyone.
I have sympathy for him to a certain extent. Feeling terrorized as a child is something I’m not unfamiliar with. However, this type of soul-baring would be more appropriate in a therapist’s office, not on national TV. Nobody really cares why you did what you did, Jesse. Just handle your business and get on with your life. Privately, TYVM.
There was a poster yesterday I believe who said at least JJ is owning up to his mistakes, unlike Tiger Woods. I guess only time will tell…
ENOUGH WITH THIS STUPID ASS DOUCHBAG!!!!
I ain’t buying it. I think he’s trying to make people feel sorry for him so he can save his businesses and $$—and from the looks of this thread alone, I’d say it’s working for him. 🙁
I think before Sandra, people kind of knew what he was; he went for trashy, freaky women, he did nasty things and was stupidly reckless.
HE was the one who acted like he’d changed, he put on this fake suit for Sandra that said he was a different man, one she could trust. He lied like crazy to get her, and I can’t even figure out why. He was obviously attracting lots of his “type” of women quite easily before, during and after her.
I’m sorry his childhood was so fucked up. I hope he figures out what went wrong so he doesn’t do the same to his own kids, not that he hasn’t already damaged the shit out of them with what they’re going through now.
Spend more time fixing yourself and your family, less time whoring yourself on television, Jesse. Take a page out of your soon-to-be ex-wife’s classy book.
I am sorry IF he was abused as a kid but it is still no excuse for his treatment of women, I that interview was pure PR done to give him an out for his sexual proclivities.
Please tell me we will not be seeing him on the next “Dancing with the Stars”
I feel sorry for the guy…That kinda childhood doesn’t yield mentally healthy individuals who are prepared to function properly in normal relationships. He has a right to clarify the motivations behind his hurtful actions, BUT that doesn’t excuse it, certainly not. I don’t think he is trying to excuse it or render it somehow more acceptable and he seems to understand and comprehend fully that he and Sandra Bullock are THROUGH.
The way I see it is, you make your choices, you live with the consequences…He’s DEFINITELY going to be suffering through this painful divorce AND attempting to create a sense of normality for his children.
I think the reason for the public mea culpas is not just to talk about the reasons for his bad choices and own up to them, but also to soften the burden for Sandra when she is ready to be back in the public eye again. His sponsors are gone; he’s not doing a self-promotion video here.
And we women know that men can be painfully unaware of themselves at times, but while I think it’s sad what happened to him as a mother of boys, I am glad to see him owning it and not turning it into some annoying blamefest and pity party. He’s trying to be a better model for his own son, to make better choices while he faces the calamities his past actions have caused and rebuilds his life.
So while he acted like a completely gross scumbag, he doesn’t appear to be trying to gain much if any benefit for himself out of doing this. Is Discovery suddenly going to clap him on the back and say, Dude, come back and show everyone how your therapy is working for you? The teenage boys who watch him don’t care about that stuff. This isn’t about that.
I don’t see how indulging in skanky sex soothes the trauma of child abuse.
Excuse Fail.
I only watched the 2nd video before I lost interest in hearing what he had to say. Honestly, it sounded to me like he was reciting a script. His face showed a bit of emotion, but I didn’t hear anything in his voice. There are times when he’s clearly stumped and searching for words. But there are other times when he appears to be repeating something that he memorized, with the words flowing fluidly out of his mouth without any hesitation.
From 2:13-2:24, particularily sounds like it was scripted. Am I the only one who thought this? Also, I don’t lack sympathy for victims of physical or emotional abuse. I went through that myself as a child. But I can’t help feeling like he’s bringing it up now to get sympathy.
twas meme who posted about JJ owing up to his behavior unlike the true douchebag that is Tiger Woods. i truly believe JJ is repentant and that he and sandra will get back together. it has to do with adopting the baby – JJ wouldn’t get approved.
Just shut up already, Jesse. Everything out of your mouth is a lame attempt to cover the fact that you are a lying cheater.
I can’t stop laughing at all this. And not only for Sandra, the adopted baby or the coward JesseJames and his kids.
It’s the media and the public that it’s making this shit fest so hilarious.. The host of the show in this video talking about JJ’s “double life” and then the douchebag going at it.Oh, and the background music… It’s all so bizarre and pathetic.
But it’s not that I’m complaining,though! This crap makes me LOL so hard every fucking day, and we all need some laughs in our lives, don’t we?
I hope there is more of JJ in the future.I don’t think I could ever get bored of this!
JJ sure was right when he feared that he wasn’t good enough for Sandra. He wasn’t!
The guy doesn’t seem to have a problem finding women and has already had a couple of other divorces, so I’m sure he’ll heal quickly from this one. But his career? Not so much.
yeah lets blame everyone else and everything else instead of being man enough to take responsibility for your own actions
That made me teary eyed, he seemed really genuine too, aww I hope he pulls his life together.
No sympathy for a MIDDLE-AGED MAN still dealing with daddy issues. It’s calling growing the fuck up, Jesse.
Jesse sounds like Garth Algar from Wayne’s world!
Bitch, please.
I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been f**ked up in some way. Even those who had healthy childhoods get a wake up call when they get out in the real world.
I agree with everyone who thinks these are just excuses.
I’m sure Bombshell had his jinglies in her mouth, so we know he’s got ’em. Now he should act like it.
Pathetic.
man up, douchelord.
Jesse is regurgitating therapy speak. It takes years and years of therapy to overcome the abuse he would like us to believe occurred to him. I find this interview disingenuous at best and gross pimping at worst. Talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words. Go to the people you hurt Jesse and make it right. Doing interviews on TV and drawing more attention to YOURSELF (you narcissistic ass clown) is not helping your kids. America has broken up with you for good and we are not taking your sorry ass back because you shed a few tears for your self-inflicted plight.
This explains not excuses his behavior in the same way Oprah’s sexual and physical abuse explains her teenage promiscuity and food addiction but doesn’t excuse. I feel empathy for all survivors of abuse.Men tend to act out towards others where woman engage in self abuse.
So many judges.
“Not that Jesse James is making excuses…”
No? Sure sounds like it to me. Yet another excuse for cheating….I was abused as a kid…
If that really is the case; TRY THERAPY instead of f***ing skanks.
Colleen: Well said!
It would be hard to admit mistakes to anyone but to do it on television – even more so. I do feel he is being sincere and regrets his mistakes. He may have lost his family and the respect of a large majority of people. However, by apologizing he is take the first to step up to being a cheater. For a man, who values his privacy, I really think this isn’t a media ploy but rather an honest confession of pain, sadness and guilt. I feel that now a days no one “owes up” to the mistakes they make. Especially for a celebrity. I hate to use Tiger Woods as an example but look at him. He showed no regret or shame. More or less,he wanted to keep the sponsors happy and protect his wealth and fame.
As for victims of child abuse, we all have ways of coping with it. Nobody that has gone through it can say they are a normal, self-adjusted person without help. Some over-eat, some drink or do drugs, some go on to hurt other people. It isn’t an excuse card either, it is an honest reaction to self-loathing and hatred. I’m sure JJ hates himself more than any of us ever could.
I hope he comes out of this a better man.
Colleen, I so agree with you! However, I have to point out to those who are saying that Jesse is “owning” his behaviour. I disagree. He hasn’t talked about using his power as a boss to sexually harrass and intimidate female employees into having sex with him. That’s him objectifying women and treating them as things he can use and humiliate. If he truly felt conflicted about his behaviour, being sued by these women should have been a wake up call. Instead he paid them hush money and complacently carried on his behaviour. That indicates no sense of empathy or remorse for the people he’s victimized. He’s become his father! It’s all about power and domination, as long as he can get away with it.
When people have been abused in childhood, they reach a turning point in their lives where they choose a path. They can choose to remember how awful it was to be victimized and then resolve never to inflict that suffering on another person. While that is a noble choice, unfortunately often these people can be too reluctant to assert themselves in relationships, for fear of being “selfish” or a bully like their abuser. Hence they risk being re-victimized in future relationships unless a therapist helps them set healthy boundaries for themselves. I should know. I was one of them, and now I’m a therapist.
Other abuse survivors choose to remain bitter and angry deep down, and they get “payback” by mistreating people who are vulnerable, just so they can feel powerful, superior and in control of their lives. Jesse has demonstrated which path he took very clearly and there was always a part of his brain that knew exactly what he was doing in the moment when he treated a woman dismissively. Change is possible for abusers like Jesse, but unlikely if he’s unwilling to admit he was deliberately using and humiliating women who were too lacking in self-esteem to recognize how little value he regarded them with!
I don’t care how much bravado “Bombshell McGee” puts on. She was the one being used in the relationship and going along with his ridiculous rules about when, where and how they’d hook up. She’s just currently trying to gloss over feeling used by Jesse, by making some money off of Jesse now, which makes her look even more sad and pathetic. Victims are often in denial about how crappy they really feel deep inside about themselves. Hence the desperate fame-seeking behaviour.
Don’t let Jesse’s current “poor puppy-dog” act fool you. Until Jesse can admit to himself that he has a lot of anger and mistrust towards women (it doesn’t appear his mother stepped in to prevent his abuse as she should have), then he’s bound to continue subconsciously acting out his anger towards women in one form or another. If Sandra chooses to re-unite secretly with Jesse and turn a blind eye to the serious bullying/anger issues that Jesse has, well…oh dear, she’s likely following the same path as Jesse’s mom did. Mimimize the problem for the sake of having a man in your life. Sad how cycles seem to repeat themselves 🙁
People who are sincere tell their stories to the people they hurt. People who are trying to recover their tattered reputation go on national TV and tell it to strangers. Abuse is a terrible thing and for him to use that as an excuse for the horrible things he’s done – makes him a sorry excuse for a human being. Victims of abuse are no longer victims when they turn around and hurt others – now they are the abusers. He’s had 21 years of being a legal adult to seek help – hundredsd of skanky women, Nazi paraphenias and several broken marriages ago. Funny how he didn’t think he needed help until his business suffered and he was caught. It makes me even more angry to hear him bring this up b/c it makes a mockery out of true trauma and pain that childhood abuse causes.
If Sandra Bullock reunites with him, her reputation will suffer greatly. She’ll go from being perceived as a strong, confident woman to being perceived as a desperate, afraid-to-be-alone female, and it will hurt her box office power. Nobody is going to believe a loveable, strong woman role out of her if she is seen to be a weak, desperate woman in her personal life. She can do much better than sissy-voiced James.
Good point, Michelle. Although, I don’t condone what JJ has done – I felt he came across more “real” than some of the other cheating douchebags out there.
I hope Sandra does not take him back. It would be hard to go back and forget the lack of trust and respect. One can forgive but its never easy to forget.