Jesse Gregory James (born April 19, 1969, Long Beach, California) is an American entrepreneur, automotive mechanic, and television personality. He is the founder of

West Coast Choppers West Coast Choppers (WCC) is a brand that began selling screen-printed T-shirts and stickers with the company's Biker Cross, Iron cross/Maltese cross logo while founder and "master marketer" Jesse James (television personality), Jesse James was ...

and former partner of Austin Speed Shop and current CEO of Jesse James Firearms Unlimited, both based in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. James rose to fame as the host of the

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 199 ...

shows ''

Monster Garage ''Monster Garage'' is an American reality television series that aired on the Discovery Channel and hosted by Jesse James (television personality), Jesse James. Each episode was an hour in length and was conceived and produced (along with James) ...

'' on the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...

and ''Jesse James Is a Dead Man'' on

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...

. He also appeared in the 2004 skateboarding video game ''

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' is a 2004 skateboarding video game from Activision, the sixth entry in the ''Tony Hawk's'' series after ''Tony Hawk's Underground'' (2003). It was developed by Neversoft released on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the ...

''.

Career

Born in Long Beach California in 1969 James played as an

outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the lin ...

Riverside City College Riverside City College (RCC) is a public community college in Riverside, California. The college is part of the Riverside Community College District, as well as the larger California Community Colleges System. History RCC first opened in 1916 at ...

in Riverside, but two injuries forced him to end his playing career. At age 19, he became a

bouncer A bouncer (also known as a door supervisor) is a type of security guard, employed at licensed or sanctioned venues such as bars, nightclubs, cabaret clubs, strip clubs and casinos. A bouncer's duties are to provide security, to check legal ag ...

and then a

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

, notably for

Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...

Glenn Danzig Glenn Allen Anzalone (born June 23, 1955), better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, film director and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He ...

, and

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

. In 1992, James founded

in his mother's garage. In addition to his work with the company, he has built and is actively racing both an off-road Trophy Truck and a Figure-8 race car. James was the owner of the Cisco Burger restaurant, which opened on April 28, 2006, across the street from West Coast Choppers which has officially closed. James also had partial ownership in Austin Speed Shop in

, which he left in 2013 to focus on the re-opening of West Coast Choppers in Austin. Other business ventures include the fan club ''Chopperdogs'' and ''Jesse's Girl'' clothing line. James published the now-defunct custom-car magazine ''Garage''. In November 2013, Jesse James Firearms Unlimited unveiled its first two firearms, a 1911 pistol and an AR-15 rifle. His first rifle-caliber

suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...

was a basic reworking of an original Maxim design that he claimed could impossibly bend the

laws of physics Scientific laws or laws of science are statements, based on repeated experiments or observations, that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. The term ''law'' has diverse usage in many cases (approximate, accurate, broad, or narrow) ...

by offering a 78 dB rating at the muzzle, lower than even what the De Lisle carbine achieved in testing; although James was careful to note that it only achieved that number with

subsonic ammunition Subsonic ammunition is ammunition designed to operate at velocities below the speed of sound (Mach 1), which at standard conditions is . This avoids the supersonic shockwave or "crack" of a supersonic bullet, which, particularly for suppressed f ...

that does not produce a

sonic boom A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to ...

. , James lives in Austin, Texas, operates Jesse James Fire Arms Unlimited, and manages the intellectual properties of West Coast Choppers.

Television

In 2000, the

made the documentary ''Motorcycle Mania'', which chronicled James' everyday life. Following the success of the documentary, the Discovery Channel approached James with an offer to host a new show called ''

'' where James and a crew of mechanics modified vehicles under a short deadline. James later established Payupsucker Productions, under which he produced shows like ''History of the Chopper'', ''Iraq Confidential with Jesse James'' and ''Green Scream'', in which James plans to break the land speed record with an eco-friendly hydrogen car. Through James' show "History of the Chopper" there are also glimpses of his involvement with the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in California whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells ...

. He also made an appearance on the Discovery Channel's '' Sons of Guns''. He appeared on the second season of ''

Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It is a variation of '' The Apprentice'' series hosted by real estate developer Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, and actor and former California Governor Arnold Sc ...

''. Each celebrity played to raise money for a favorite charity; James selected to play for the

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

Education Foundation. Due to his poor performance in raising funds, James was eliminated by

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

on the second-to-last show (ultimately placing third) which aired May 3, 2009. Trump repeatedly cited James' stoic refusal to contact then-wife

Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and film producer. The List of highest-paid film actors, highest-paid actress of 2010 and 2014, Sandra Bullock filmography, Bullock's filmography spans both comedy and drama, ...

to raise funds for the show's challenges, though other celebrities had no problem tapping high-rolling contacts for cash. His show ''Jesse James Is a Dead Man'' premiered on

on May 31, 2009. The show features James doing death-defying stunts. The first episode set a rating record for Spike, drawing the largest audience ever for an unscripted series on the network, with 2 million viewers. The show is produced by

, BASE Productions and James' company, PayupSucker Productions. In conjunction with that appearance

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

created a special one-shot comic book where he evades death once again after considering retirement, and made it available in comic book stores for free distribution. James appeared on an episode of ''Street Customs'' where he had his

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...

customized by

West Coast Customs West Coast Customs (abbreviated by the company as WCC) is an automobile repair shop focusing on the Custom car, customization of vehicles. It was started by co-founders Ryan Friedlinghaus and Quinton Dodson circa 1994. According to Friedlinghaus ...

. He appeared in an advertisement for

T-Mobile T-Mobile is the brand of telecommunications by Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom AG (, ; often just Telekom, DTAG or DT; stylised as ·T·) is a partially state-owned German telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn and the largest telec ...

's Google mobile phone with

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...

and

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...

. Jesse James appeared on ''Sons of Guns'' on March 28, 2012. He asked the Red Jacket Firearms team to build a customized Browning Automatic Rifle for him and even assisted in the build himself. Jesse appeared in special "Biker Build-Off" episodes of ''

American Chopper ''American Chopper'' is an American reality television series that airs on Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television. The series centers on Paul Teutul Sr. (frequently called ''Senior''), and his son Paul Teutul Jr. (also know ...

'' in 2011 and 2012 for bike build-off competitions with Paul Teutul Jr. (representing Paul Jr. Designs) and

Paul Teutul Sr. Paul John Teutul (born May 1, 1949) is the founder of Orange County Choppers, a manufacturer of custom motorcycles and the focus of the reality television series ''American Chopper''. He first appeared on the show with his sons Paul Teutul Jr., ...

(representing

Orange County Choppers Orange County Choppers (OCC) is an American motorcycle manufacturer and lifestyle brand company based in the town of Newburgh, located in Orange County, New York, ''OCC'' was founded in 1999 by Paul Teutul Sr. The company was featured on '' ...

), with Gas Monkey Garage (featured on the Discovery series ''

Fast N' Loud ''Fast N' Loud'' is a reality-styled Discovery Channel TV show featuring Richard Rawlings and his crew from the Dallas, Texas-based Gas Monkey Garage as they search for tired and run-down cars, and restore them for profit. The show was succe ...

'') entering the competition in 2012.

Personal life

Family and relationships

James'

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/producer

Janine Lindemulder Janine Lindemulder (born ) is an American pornographic actress, often credited mononymously as Janine. She is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame and the XRCO Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was pictured on the album artwork for punk rock band Blin ...

, to whom he was married from 2002 to 2004; and a son with his fifth wife, former porn actress and model

Bonnie Rotten Alaina Hicks (born May 9, 1993), known professionally as Bonnie Rotten, is an American pornographic actress, feature dancer, fetish model, and director. In 2014, she became the first alt-porn star to win the AVN Award for Female Performer o ...

, whom he married in 2022. On July 16, 2005, James married his third wife, actress

. They met when she arranged for her ten-year-old

godson Within Christianity, a godparent or sponsor is someone who bears witness to a child's baptism (christening) and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelong spiritual formation. In both religious and civil views, ...

, a fan, to tour the set of ''

''. In October 2009, James' ex-wife Lindemulder, who had been in federal prison for six months for

tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...

, 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." James' publicist subsequently announced on March 30, 2010, that James had checked into a rehab facility "to deal with personal issues" and "save his marriage" to Bullock. 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. The divorce was finalized on June 28, 2010, with "conflict of personalities" cited as the reason. In August 2010, tattoo artist

Kat Von D Katherine von Drachenberg (born March 8, 1982), known professionally as Kat Von D, is a Mexican-born American tattoo artist, television personality, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC ...

confirmed reports that she and James were dating."'LA Ink' Star Sets the Record Straight About Her Relationship with Steve-O"
, BuddyTV.com, August 16, 2007 James and Von D became engaged in January 2011. Additional . 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 John Paul Jones DeJoria (born April 13, 1944) is an American billionaire businessman, best known as a co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company. DeJoria has been called an example of the American Drea ...

. 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

. 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.

Legal troubles

In 2007, James was fined $271,250 by the

California Air Resources Board The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...

(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 In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic; their odor is usually faint, and may b ...

. 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,

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 Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other part ...

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 The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air with a straightened han ...

and wearing a Nazi-era cap, he explained to the

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

show ''

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...

'' 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. A friend of James explained to the magazine that the "swastika deal" is "part of biker culture".

References

External links

*
Jesse James: The Man and His Machines
Mike Seate, 2003, Page 5 {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Jesse 1969 births Television personalities from California Living people Motorcycle builders People from Lynwood, California Participants in American reality television series Mechanics (people) People from Long Beach, California