Jesse James has confirmed that he admitted to estranged wife Sandra Bullock that he had several extramarital affairs after reports of his infidelity first surfaced in March.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I told her basically everything -- that I had affairs outside of our marriage," said James during an excerpt video of his upcoming Nightline appearance.
"Did she have any idea this was going on or did this hit her like a ton of bricks?" asked Nightline's Vicki Mabrey.
"I think she had her suspicions in the past," replied James. "But I lied my way out of it. I lied to everyone about everything, even to myself."
The former Monster Garage and Jesse James is a Dead Man star's marriage to Bullock first hit the rocks when he was accused of carrying out an 11-month affair with tattoo model Michelle "Bombshell" McGee while Bullock was in Atlanta filming The Blind Side -- for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress.
ADVERTISEMENT
Several additional women then also made similar claims, resulting in James reportedly entering Arizona's Sierra Tucson Treatment Center for a sexual addiction treatment program.
"I just told [Bullock] I was going to get some help. I told her to make sure that she would take care of Sunny," said James on Nightline, referring to his young daughter from a previous marriage.
"What did she say to you?" asked Mabrey.
"No problem. Okay," answered James. "She told me she was proud of me."
Bullock filed for divorce late last month and also revealed she and James -- who wed in July 2005 -- adopted four-and-a-half-month-old son Louis Bardo in January.
"We found out around Christmas time and we got him on New Year's day," said James on Nightline, adding he had no problems with Louis being African American.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I didn't care what color he was. My only prerequisite for adopting a baby, I want a baby that needs us the most."
Bullock revealed the divorce and adoption in a People cover story earlier this month, and James said it made him "sad."
"But I realize why things have to be done in a certain way," added James, as Bullock is finalizing the adoption as a single parent.
"To see her in the role of mother is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. She's like a fish to water. As soon as she put that baby in her hands, it was automatic and amazing."
James -- an avid Nazi memorabilia collector -- also discussed a photo of him that surfaced in March that shows him wearing a German soldier's cap and giving a Nazi salute.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I think out of anything, this is why I'm doing this interview the most," said James on Nightline.
"Dealing with losing my marriage and my son, embarrassing everyone and decimating my life, but to be called a racist on top of that, it makes me really sad seeing the photo and the way I look."
While James doesn't remember taking the photo, he claims he didn't mean any harm when it occurred.
"I can tell by the look on my face that it was a joke that was funny then -- probably for a minute -- but then looking at it in the context of now and my life, it's not funny," he said.
James' Nightline interview will air tonight at 11:35PM ET/PT on ABC.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio