Jesse James (television personality) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jesse James
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James at the 2007 Scream Awards
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| Born |
Jesse Gregory James
April 19, 1969 Long Beach, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Entrepreneur, television personality |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Karla James
(m. 1991; div. 2002)Janine Lindemulder
(m. 2002; div. 2004)Alexis DeJoria
(m. 2013; div. 2022)Bonnie Rotten
(m. 2022; sep 2024) |
| Children | 4 |
Jesse Gregory James (born April 19, 1969) is an American businessman, car mechanic, and TV star. He started the company West Coast Choppers. He also runs Jesse James Firearms Unlimited, both located in Austin, Texas.
James became famous as the host of the reality TV shows Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel. He also hosted Jesse James Is a Dead Man on Spike TV. In 2004, he appeared in the skateboarding video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2.
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Jesse James' Career
Jesse James played football as an outside linebacker in college. He attended Riverside City College in Riverside. However, two injuries stopped him from continuing his playing career.
At age 19, he worked as a bouncer. Later, he became a bodyguard for famous bands like Slayer and Soundgarden.
Starting West Coast Choppers
In 1992, James began his company, West Coast Choppers. He started it in his mother's garage. This company became known for building custom motorcycles.
Besides his work with West Coast Choppers, James also loves racing. He has built and actively races an off-road Trophy Truck. He also races a Figure-8 race car.
Other Business Ventures
James used to own a restaurant called Cisco Burger. It opened in 2006 but has since closed. He also had a share in Austin Speed Shop in Austin, Texas. He left that business in 2013. His goal was to focus on reopening West Coast Choppers in Austin.
Other businesses he started include a fan club called Chopperdogs. He also created a clothing line called Jesse's Girl. James published a custom-car magazine named Garage, which is no longer printed.
In November 2013, Jesse James Firearms Unlimited showed its first two firearms. These were a 1911 pistol and an AR-15 rifle. As of 2020, James lives in Austin, Texas. He continues to run Jesse James Fire Arms Unlimited. He also manages the brand of West Coast Choppers.
Jesse James on Television
In 2000, the Discovery Channel made a documentary about James. It was called Motorcycle Mania. The show followed his daily life. Because the documentary was popular, Discovery Channel asked James to host a new show.
Hosting Monster Garage
The new show was called Monster Garage. On this show, James and a team of mechanics changed vehicles. They had to modify them quickly. James later started his own production company. He used it to make shows like History of the Chopper.
He also appeared on the Discovery Channel's Sons of Guns. James was also on Celebrity Apprentice. Each celebrity played to earn money for a charity. James chose the Long Beach Education Foundation. He finished third on the show.
Jesse James Is a Dead Man
His show Jesse James Is a Dead Man started on Spike TV in May 2009. The show features James doing very risky stunts. The first episode broke a rating record for Spike TV. It had 2 million viewers, the most for an unscripted series on the network.
James also appeared on an episode of Street Customs. On this show, his pickup truck was customized. He also appeared in an advertisement for T-Mobile. Jesse James was on Sons of Guns again in 2012. He helped build a special Browning Automatic Rifle.
Jesse appeared in special "Biker Build-Off" episodes of American Chopper. These were in 2011 and 2012. He competed against other famous bike builders.
Personal Life
Family and Relationships
James has four children. He has a daughter and a son with his first wife, Karla James. They were married from 1991 to 2002. He has another daughter with his second wife, Janine Lindemulder. They were married from 2002 to 2004. He also has a son with his fifth wife, Bonnie Rotten. They 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 to visit the set of Monster Garage.
In 2009, James was granted full care of his daughter with Janine Lindemulder. In April 2010, Bullock filed for divorce. Bullock also shared that she had adopted a baby boy. The child had been living with them since January 2010. Bullock continued the adoption as a single parent. Their divorce was finalized in June 2010.
In August 2010, tattoo artist Kat Von D confirmed she and James were dating. They got engaged in January 2011. However, they broke up in July 2011. They got back together briefly but broke up again in September 2011.
In late 2012, James became engaged to professional drag racer Alexis DeJoria. They married on March 24, 2013. In March 2020, James announced they had separated. He said their lives were just going in different directions.
Since late 2021, James has been in a relationship with Bonnie Rotten. They married on June 25, 2022. They welcomed a son exactly one year later. It was reported in November 2024 that Bonnie Rotten had filed for divorce.
