Jesse James: My Father Abused Me

In his first televised interview since separating from wife Sandra Bullock, Jesse James says he was physically and emotionally abused by his father.

Jesse James: Sandra Bullock was "proud" of me for going to rehab

"He beat my ass pretty good a bunch of times. ... I just remember, like, clinched teeth, strained-neck look on his face," James said during his Nightlineinterview Tuesday. "I was a terrorized kid, and, I mean, it's really tough for me to think about now because ... [my daughter] Sunny is the age that I was when my dad broke my arm."

James' father, Larry, has since sent ABC News an email calling the allegations of abuse false.

Jesse James: I still love Sandra Bullock

The Monster Garagestar also explained why he believes the alleged abuse played a role in his extramarital affairs.

"I don't think I have a sex addiction where I'm running around trying to have sex with everyone and I can't stop," the 41-year-old said. "There's a lot of people who are abused that go on to abuse, or go on to do drugs... or go on to, you know, cut themselves. ...They'll do it to self-sabotage their life ... because of their abuse, they've never felt good enough.

Jesse James: I threw away a "pretty amazing life and marriage"

"Why would I totally destroy my wife's life and humiliate her when I knew it was bad, you know?" James continued. "I may seem like a monster in peoples' eyes, but I'm not that kind of person where I will willfully, you know, 'I'm gonna get her, I'll show her.' That's not what it's about. It's about trying to push someone away that I thought was going to leave anyway."

Watch the clip: