Sandra Bullock single again, finalizes divorce
A court clerk in Austin, Texas, confirmed that the divorce between the Oscar-winning actress, Sandra Bullock and celebrity biker Jessie James was finalized Monday. Bullock filed to end the marriage in April after reports surfaced that James had been unfaithful.
Citing “discord or conflict of personalities” as the reason behind the split, the official divorce allows the Oscar-winning actress to complete her adoption of son Louis as a single parent.
An attorney for Bullock did not immediately return calls to The Associated Press on Tuesday, but her publicist, Cheryl Maisel, confirmed the couple’s split was complete.
James’ publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The actress and “Monster Garage” star met in 2003 and married in 2005. It seemed like an odd pairing–the movie star often called “America’s Sweetheart” marrying the tattooed biker who had been wed twice before.
It was the first marriage for Bullock, who became a devoted stepmom to James’ children: Sunny, 6; Jesse Jr., 12; and Chandler, 15.
The pair adopted the baby boy from New Orleans shortly before they split amid the avalanche of affair claims, which included tattoo model Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee revealing she’d had an 11-month affair with Jesse.
Jesse–who went to rehab following the separation to be treated for sex addiction–is also believed to have slept with at least five other women during his relationship with Sandra.
The couple stayed out of the public eye as they continued their individual successes. She racked up film and production credits, while he expanded his reality-TV presence, starring in his own series, “Jesse James is a Dead Man,” and appearing on “The Celebrity Apprentice.”
Their problems surfaced in March, just days after Bullock won the best-actress Oscar for her role in “The Blind Side.” She had been on a career high–her romantic comedy, “The Proposal,” was a box-office smash, then she swept Hollywood’s awards season for her “Blind Side” performance.
The couple was a fixture at the glittery awards shows this year. She called James “sexy” as she accepted her Screen Actor’s Guild award. Backstage, he held her purse as she spoke to reporters.
At the Golden Globes, Bullock told James from the stage, her voice cracking with emotion: “There’s no surprise that my work got better when I met you. Because I never knew what it felt like for someone to have my back.”
She did not thank her husband at the Academy Awards, instead dedicating her acceptance speech to mothers and parents everywhere. Still, the couple walked hand-in-hand down Oscar’s red carpet, celebrated together at the parties afterward and were photographed outside a Long Beach burger joint the next day.
Ten days later, Internet rumors surfaced that James had been unfaithful while Bullock was away making her Oscar-winning film. He apologized to his wife and three children from previous relationships through a statement released by his publicist.
