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CBSNews /

CBS/ AP/ May 26, 2010, 2:13 AM

Jesse James: I Was Abused as a Child

Jesse James said that he went to treatment during the crumbling of his marriage to Oscar Winner Sandra Bullock to deal with anger management, extramarital affairs and childhood abuse.

James said on an interview on ABC's "Nightline" that aired Tuesday evening that his father was emotionally and physically abusive. He said that the successes in his life, such as his television show "Monster Garage," was "a huge smoke screen so people won't see I'm a scared abused kid, a 7 year old."

During the interview, James became emotional, choking up recalling an incident when his father chased him around the house in the dark and James broke his arm. In an e-mail, James' father denied the allegations to ABC.

"I cried more in rehab in last 30 days than I have in my whole life," James said. "I don't think I have a sex addiction where I'm running around trying to have sex with everyone and can't stop. I think I do things to sabotage my life including extramarital affairs, texting … I do a lot of things in my life I shouldn't be doing that aren't conducive to being a perfect husband."

Jesse James Addresses Affairs, Nazi Rumors
Bullock Files for Divorce, Adopts Baby Boy

James said he lied about cheating during his marriage Bullock and knew he would eventually get caught.

"When I was doing it, you know, one, I knew it was horrible, it made me feel horrible. And two, I knew I would get caught eventually, and I think I wanted to get caught," he said.

The 41-year-old tattooed biker said Bullock "had her suspicions in the past, but, you know, I lied, and lied my way out of it. I lied to everyone about everything, even to myself."

James also said seeing Bullock in the role of mother to 4 1/2-month-old son Louis is one of the "most amazing things" he's ever seen.

"She's like a fish to water. As soon as she put that baby in her hands, it was automatic and amazing," he said.

The child was born in New Orleans, where the couple had spent time after Hurricane Katrina. He said they welcomed the baby into their family on New Year's Day.

Bullock has said she'll adopt as a single parent.

Allegations that James had been cheating on Bullock became public within days after the 45-year-old actress won the best-actress Oscar on March 7 for her role in "The Blind Side."

The couple separated in March after five years of marriage. Divorce papers were filed in April in Austin, Texas, where Bullock has a home. James said he was "100 percent sure" the couple would divorce, but that it was not what he wanted.

Pictures:

Photos: Michelle "Bombshell" McGee
Photos: Sandra Bullock vs. Porn Star
Photos: Jesse James Still Wearing His Wedding Ring
Photos: The Oscar Curse
Photos: Celebrity Splits
Photos: Sandra Bullock
CBS/ AP
38 Comments Add a Comment
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srekcahs says:
Personal responsibility is such a bitter pill. It's so much easier to blame somebody or some thing for what goes wrong in a persons life. For a man who claims he wants his wife back, this isn't going to help. All he's succeeded in doing is telling her he's a milksop who shouldn't be held accountable for his actions. Hardly the stuff real men are made of.
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citizenusa-2009 says:
either1or: um, YOU were the one who brought up the subject of unprotected sex and defended Jesse (like you were in the room heh heh). All I did was correct your assumption that Jesse was "protecting" his wife somehow....???

You know what they say about glass houses either1or....LOL!
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mtcolquitt says:
"I was abused as a child" does not give you the right to abuse others as an adult, jerk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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citizenusa-2009 says:
You've got a point there. He said he lied to everyone about everything. Then when he said his dad broke his arm, his dad responded with "he's lying". Wow!

I don't know about you, but I'm confused right about now...
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jxknowles says:
Spare me. This guy is a pathelogical liar. We're supposed to feel sorry for him because he had an abusive father. Half this country probably had abusive parents because their parents were abusive to them. Most people don't screw up the rest of our lives and cry on national television because our fathers hit us. This guy is a joke. At least that Dog the Bounty Hunter guy was remorseful and acknowledged his bad behavior. I can forgive him. This clown is a mess. Keep him out of the media.
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Crush1800 replies:
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Thank You, your words nailed it on the head....PEACE
stupa5 replies:
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Dog The Bounty Hunter & Beth...good guy great show
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lizannrand says:
Traumatic things and abuse CAN affect you in many ways and BEFORE you start yapping about having control over such things, RESEARCH it. It is a proven statistical fact. Now with that being said, I can't condone what he did, but if, just if he really were abused and traumatized, then there are fallouts from that. I can tell you from personal experience and trauma (I lost my mother when I was 9) my life changed and there are some things you cannot control without first realizing there is a problem. What he did was wrong, but that isn't w/out saying he did have an abusive childhood, and MOST people from that time would NOT call it abuse as that is how they were raised. Back then, it was no big deal to pull your child's drawers down and give them a good, hard smack on the butt. Today, that IS abuse. Remember, NONE of us have the right to judge, ONLY God does. But we ALL do have the right to pray for others who have made mistakes. We would want someone to pray for us in front of God.
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Crush1800 replies:
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Maybe so, yet, he should have just left that in the closet, and manned up...
lizannrand replies:
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No he shouldn't. He was wrong, he did wrong and he hurt people, he shouldn't have left it in the closet because if (and I say if) it is true, sometimes the truth can help. He did man up although we don't know if he would have had Ms. bombshell hadn't opened her mouth.
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Dunestrider says:
The age-old cry of the abuser: "But I was abused as a child!"
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workerdroid says:
This guy is like a 10 pound robin. He's so full of s**t that he can't get off the ground.
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citizenusa-2009 says:
either1or: "Bombshell McGee" in an interview CONFIRMED that they had unprotected sex. Unlike you, I do my research before I open my pie hole.

Eitherlor for President of Iraq - 2010! Whooo Hooo!
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Scimajor says:
Top 10 reasons people cheat:

10. They were abducted by aliens.
9. They were abused.
8. Addiction
7. Because they want to.
6. Spouse is mean.
5. Suffering from Stupidicus Maximus
4. My dog ate it (well, it worked for homework).
3. Video games (They, they blame video games for most anything so why not?)
2. Obama (Everything is his fault according to some people).

And the number one reason is .....

1. He drew a picture of Muhammad and is suffering the consequences.
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