Cheating On Actress Sandra Bullock May Cost Jesse James Personally, But Not Financially

Cheating on his wife cost Tiger Woods millions of dollars. But reality TV star Jesse James -- who has publicly apologized to his famous wife, actress Sandra Bullock, for "poor judgment" after allegedly having an 11-month affair with a tattoo-covered model -- may not suffer any financial consequences at all.

In fact, because James already had a "bad boy" image, his reckless behavior may serve to reinforce his reputation -- and indeed, attract curious viewers to his show on Spike TV, boosting ratings and possibly James' paycheck in the process.

Plus, it's not like James, who formerly was seen on "Monster Garage" and is now the owner of the motorcycle company West Coast Choppers, was raking in the bucks for endorsement deals, as was Woods.

It's an ironic twist that James might become more famous than ever -- and make even more money -- considering how allegedly low down his behavior was.

Not only did James allegedly cheat with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, a raunchy tattoo model who also works as a stripper, poses on an adult web site and has a penchant for swastikas and Nazi salutes. James also played his lovestruck wife for a fool -- even as she stood by him through a nasty child custody battle involving James' 5-year-old daughter with his porn star ex-wife, Janine Lindemulder. Bullock also defended James constantly when people wondered what she had in common with a biker dude who seemed, to onlookers, to be way too rough-around-the-edges for the Oscar-winning actress known as "America's sweetheart."

The Real Cost of Cheating

It's one thing to consider how a celebrity's private or public behavior might impact that person's career. It's a whole different matter concerning how their behavior affects their personal life. And here's where James is likely to pay the ultimate price. While it's clear that some marriages can survive infidelity, this is one case where I don't see that happening at all.

I think this relationship is completely done. And from the looks of it, so does James. His apology statement suggested that he knows full well that he messed up royally and that he has totally devastated his wife and kids. "There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me," James said. "It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way. This has caused my wife and kids pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension and I am extremely saddened to have brought this on them. I am truly very sorry for the grief I have caused them. I hope one day they can find it in their hearts to forgive me," he added.

James new-found status in the doghouse brings new meaning to his popular TV show. It's called: Jesse James is a Dead Man.

For her part, James' alleged mistress doesn't seem too be doing too shabbily. In fact, she's already cashing in on her 15 minutes of fame. McGee was paid $30,000 for telling her story to InTouch magazine, so this obviously won't be the last we hear from her. Stay tuned.

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Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has also been featured in top newspapers including the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times bestseller, 'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'