AceShowbiz - Sandra Bullock's estranged husband Jesse James decided to break his silence over his cheating scandal in an attempt to clear up his reputation and defend himself against allegations he's "racist". "The Blind Side" star walked out on James in March after he was revealed to have cheated on the actress with a string of women.

He was further disgraced when a controversial picture was published, showing him wearing a military hat and giving a Nazi salute. He was also seen holding two fingers up to his top lip in a reference to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's moustache. Bullock later admitted she was deeply "shocked" and "sad" to see the "stupid, ignorant" photo, adding: "This is not the man I married... Racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, anything Nazi and a boatload of other things have no place in my life. And the man I married felt the same."

Now James is attempting to clear his name by insisting he regrets posing for the picture because it was intended as a "joke" that is no longer funny - although he has no recollection of the shoot. In an interview with U.S. newswoman Vicki Mabrey, he says, "I think out of everything, this is why I'm doing this interview the most, dealing with losing my marriage... and embarrassing everyone and decimating my life, but to be called a racist on top of that..."

"It makes me really sad seeing the photo and the way I look... I don't even remember taking the photo but I can tell the look on my face, it was a joke that was funny then, just for a minute, but then looking at it in the context of now, my life, it's not funny." The full interview with James, his first since the breakdown of his marriage, will air on U.S. news show Nightline on Tuesday night, May 25.

In the same occasion, Sandra Bullock was "proud" of Jesse James for seeking treatment for his infidelity issues after his cheating ways were exposed in the press. He said, "I told her everything, that I had affairs outside of our marriage. I think she's had suspicions in the past but I lied my way out of it - I lied to everyone; I lied to myself. I just told her I was going to get some help and I wanted to make sure she would take care of Sunny. (She said), 'No problem, OK.' She told me she was proud of me."