While reading People Magazine’s story on Jesse James, I was struck by how overly sympathetic it was towards him. There are no direct quotes from Jesse and all the news about how he’s doing is credited to “sources” and “friends”. People doesn’t usually run stories that aren’t celebrity sanctioned, and in this case James’ betrayed wife, Sandra Bullock, is of course the celebrity. That means that Sandy’s people probably at least approved the concept of the article, if not the content. Does that mean that she’s considering reconciling with Jesse or just that she realizes she needs to maintain a relationship with him for the sake of their children? Maybe Sandra wants us to know that Jesse isn’t as bad as he’s been portrayed by the media. Presenting him in a softer light can only improve her image too, as if to explain what she saw in him in the first place. That could also be the reason behind his upcoming interview on Nightline.

People really lays it on thick, and focuses on how poor Jesse is coping after pissing and f*cking his life away. They also tell us he’s in the initial stages of buying a home in Austin to be closer to Sandra and Louis. In that case I hope Sandra lives in New Orleans full time.

Title: Picking up the pieces
Subtitle: As he prepares to buy a home in Austin, the humbled motorcycle king hopes to put his life back together – and maybe even reconcile with his wife.

Jesse James is a man who likes his routines. Most mornings he brings in the newspaper from outside his beachfront, L.A. – area home before having breakfast with kids Sunny, 6, Jesse Jr., 12, and Chandler, 15. After dropping off the kids at school, he typically puts in a 12-hour day at his West Coast Choppers garage before heading home to help the kids with their homework and watch the occasional bedtime movie together. But since the collapse of his marriage to Sandra Bullock, even the most mundane rituals are marked by a profound absence. “Jesse is the only one to blame for all of this,” says a friend, “but his life, too, came crashing down on him.”

James is “deeply humbled,” “feels like a fool”
It has been two months since life as both Bullock and James knew it was shattered by his infidelity. While Bullock embarks on a new chapter as a single mom to 4-month-old Louis, James, 41, is still trying to pick up the pieces for both himself and his kids. Those close to him say the famously gruff guy, whose don’t-mess-with-me machismo helped define his multimillion-dollar empire, has been deeply humbled by his mistakes. “Jesse still feels like a fool for messing up his great life with Sandra and the kids,” says a source. “He still really loves Sandra, and it seems that he doesn’t even understand himself how he could deceive his family the way he did.” Since returning in April from a monthlong sting in a treatment facility (for still-unspecified personal issues), “he is feeling stronger but obviously very sad for the situation still at hand,” says another pal. Not that he’s resigned himself to losing the woman he once said made him feel like Superman. Exactly the opposite, in fact: James’ friends say he remains fervently committed to winning her back. “He hasn’t given up hope that he can fix things,” says the source. “This thinking is what gets Jesse through the day.”

Are they going to reconcile?
Is a reconciliation a real possibility? At least one friend of the couple’s doesn’t rule it out. “I’d be horrified but not surprised,” said the friend. “She believes in the best of people. She likes the life they had together. To her, they were going to grow old together, and when they were together, they were happy and they made big decisions together – over real estate, pets, parenting, adopting Louis.”

For now, though, it’s clear that Bullock, 45, is moving forward, without James. “Jesse and Sandra have been in contact briefly,” says the source. “They share the same main focus as before: the kids’ well being. They are only in contact because they want the best for all the kids…”

On May 14 both James and Bullock were in Austin, the adopted hometown where they spent much of their downtime during their marriage… But this time James was in town with his older daughter Chandler to visit Austin Speed Shop, his custom-car outfit, while Bullock hit her favorite shops with Louis and checked in on her restaurant Bess Bistro.

Jesse is buying a home in Austin to be near Sandra
The Oscar winner may see her ex around town far more frequently in the near future: James has put his L.A. house on the marker, and according to a source, has already made an offer to buy a house in Austin. Might the proximity to Bullock be a motivating factor? “His mind-set is the same as [just after the split], and Jesse feels that as time goes by, his and Sandra’s relationship has still not reached the final chapter,” says the source close to him. “He is not giving up hope that Sandra will come back to her family. Everyone knows that when the time is right, Jesse will try to get Sandra to come come…”

He’s “a changed man”
Whether or not he can succeed in being “the mate Sandy deserves,” as he stated, “Jesse is definitely a changed man,” says another close friend. “Although there is still sadness, you can also tell he has a rejuvenated soul. He’s put his family through a lot, and he is doing everything he can to make things better. He loves his family more than anything.”

[From People Magazine, print edition, May 31, 2010, subheaders added]

No wonder Jesse has to work 12 hour days. He spends 4 hours trolling the net for tattooed skanks, 4 hours with whatever he can pick up, and maybe 4 hours telling his employees what to do. Jesse must be getting to Sandra like a bad dog whining after spreading the contents of the garbage can all over the kitchen. Whenever I see this guy’s face I’m reminded of the rottweilers pittbulls he has as pets. (And dogs in general. No offense to that specific breed, but he does resemble it more than others.) He operates on base instincts but there’s something kind of sweet about him, and I get the appeal. I hope I wouldn’t fall for it, but I’m not in Sandra’s position of dealing with this dog’s mind games for years.

Meanwhile both In Touch and US Weekly are reporting on that May 13 “secret meeting” between Sandra and James, presumably so James could see his adopted baby son, Louis. Is this People story Sandra’s way of explaining that meeting, or is it her way of preparing us in case she does decide to get back with this serial cheater who is oh so sorry about the fact that he’s now alone? Those tattooed strippers he pays for lap dances and romps on his office coffin couch just can’t compare to the movie star wife who stood by him for years.