Family and relationships James'
Discovery Channel website states that his great-great-grandfather was the
notorious outlaw's cousin. However, Eric James, president of the James Preservation Trust, which tracks claims of being a relative of the outlaw, says it cannot find a record of him in the family tree and has asked him to provide a family genealogy and DNA sample for the trust to review; he has not provided the requested information. James has four children: a daughter and a son with his first wife, Karla James, to whom he was married from 1991 to 2002; a daughter with his second wife, stripper/adult actress
Janine Lindemulder, to whom he was married from 2002 to 2004; and a son with his fifth wife, former porn actress and model
Bonnie Rotten, whom he married in 2022. On July 16, 2005, James married his third wife, actress
Sandra Bullock. They met when she arranged for her ten-year-old
godson, a fan, to tour the set of
Monster Garage. In October 2009, James' ex-wife Lindemulder, who had been in federal prison for six months for
tax evasion, sought to regain custody of her then five-year-old daughter with James, after James had been granted sole guardianship of her. James sought to retain full guardianship, citing fear of the environment in which his daughter would be placed if returned to Lindemulder. In December, James won custody, and Lindemulder was given weekly visitation rights during the daytime. In March 2010, a media scandal arose when several women claimed to have had affairs with James during his marriage to Bullock. Bullock canceled European promotional appearances for
The Blind Side citing "unforeseen personal reasons." On March 18, 2010, James responded to the rumors of infidelity by issuing a public apology to Bullock. James declared that "There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me," and asked that his wife and children one day "find it in their hearts to forgive me" for their current "pain and embarrassment." However, on April 28, 2010, it was reported that Bullock had filed for divorce on April 23 in Austin, Texas. Bullock also stated that she had planned to adopt a baby boy born in New Orleans. Bullock and James had begun an initial adoption process four years earlier. The child began living with them in January 2010, but they kept the news private until after the Oscars in March 2010. However, given the couple's separation and then divorce, Bullock continued the adoption of the baby as a single parent. In August 2010, tattoo artist
Kat Von D confirmed reports that she and James were dating. James and Von D became engaged in January 2011. Von D announced that they had split in July 2011. However, in August 2011, James and Von D announced their engagement was back on. In September 2011, Von D announced that she and James had broken up again. Von D later accused James of cheating on her with multiple women during their relationship. In late 2012, James became engaged to professional drag racer
Alexis DeJoria. They married on March 24, 2013, at the estate of the bride's father, entrepreneur
John Paul DeJoria. In March 2020, James announced his separation from DeJoria after seven years of marriage, stating, "Our lives were just headed in different directions." Since late 2021, James has been in a relationship with former porn film star
Bonnie Rotten. They married on June 25, 2022, and welcomed a son exactly one year later. It was reported on November 22, 2024, that Bonnie Rotten had filed for divorce. Both of them filed for restraining orders against each other citing abuse. The couple later reconciled and on January 6, 2025, they jointly filed a "notice of nonsuit" to dismiss their divorce proceedings. In March 2026, Rotten would be arrested for assaulting James, though each would deny reports that they were currently estranged, with James later publicly referring to Rotten as "my kind of devil."
Legal troubles In 2007, James was fined $271,250 by the
California Air Resources Board (CARB) after state officials determined that he had sold motorcycles violating California's clean-air laws. According to authorities, James' customized bikes were emitting 11 times the legal limits of
hydrocarbons. Investigators also found that the motorcycles did not have state-certified emissions equipment on their fuel tanks. The bikes were sold between 1997 and 2006. James explained that he was unaware of rule changes that required small-volume manufacturers to comply with regulations. James said the CARB refused his offer to recall and modify the uncompliant choppers. Since 2005,
West Coast Choppers has built emissions-compliant choppers. James said the fines were excessive and intended to make an example of him due to his company's fame and his celebrity marriage to actress Sandra Bullock, but CARB spokesmen stated their enforcement efforts were aimed at the entire custom industry and further that they were aware of no offer by West Coast Choppers to recall the motorcycles in question. In July 2008, James faced a $422,680
breach of contract lawsuit from Michael Jones, a customer who hired James to build him a custom car, who contended that after paying $270,000 over two years, the car was not completed and that James informed him that it would cost between $600,000 and $700,000. That September, James faced another lawsuit from his former lawyer for $327,533 in unpaid fees. In 2010, James was accused by Fortune Fashions Industries, LLC of working with Walmart and stealing one of Fortune Fashions Industries' executives to work on the clothing line after a failed collaboration between Jesse and Fortune Fashions. The company claimed over 6million dollars in damage, and lawyer LawrenceH. Nagler, representing the LLC, claimed "Jesse has stolen the benefit of Fortune Fashions' work and manpower to put this together." James' lawyer JosephA. Yanny pointed out that James was a prolific entrepreneur, selling his West Coast Choppers brand apparel in his shop and online, long before he met Fred Kayne (owner of Fortune Fashions). The trial concluded with a verdict in favor of James. When Fortune Fashion Industries asked the judge to quash the jury decision, the judge stated they were "not entitled to any proceeds from an unrelated line of clothing that came into being a year after the failed venture."
Controversial photos After James entered rehab after giving a
Nazi salute and wearing a Nazi-era cap, he explained to the
ABC News show
Nightline that the photo, taken in 2004 before his marriage to Bullock, was meant as a joke, and that he was not a racist. James' lawyer claimed that the hat was a gift from a Jewish mentor and that James is not a neo-Nazi.
Us subsequently printed additional photos that had been posted to Facebook by former West Coast Choppers employees showing James and Nazi imagery. == References ==