It's time to delve into a hypothetical archive of "Forgotten Couples of Yesteryear". In this archive, there is a famous former couple that many people haven't thought of in almost a decade! While they were together, they didn't seem to care how the public perceived them. We're talking about Monster Garage tough guy, Jesse James, and tattoo artist/make-up entrepreneur extraordinaire, Kat Von D!
Jesse and Kat's 'cool cat' personas were attractive to many people. It's no surprise they were drawn to each other. They got close during a trying time in Jesse's personal life...this troubled time became part of celebrity culture. Jesse had recently ended his high-profile marriage to actress, Sandra Bullock - then, he happened to meet fellow celeb and tattoo artist, Kat Von D. Von D was then known for her popular reality show, L.A. Ink, but she would soon give the world more than an earful about her rocky romance.
Here are fifteen forgotten facts!
15 Their Nuptials Were Supposed To Be On The Sunny Side
Kat Von D and Jesse James were super-stealthy when it came to keeping their relationship on the down-low for a while. However, the noise became louder and louder when the news broke that Jesse planned to put a ring on it. When this news surfaced, it wasn't long after his split from Sandra Bullock. He had been married to Sandra for five years! Kat and Jesse planned to tie the knot during the summer.
14 Fan Speculation Fueled Their Flame
If the memory of Kat Von D and Jesse James' relationship makes you go "hmm," you aren't alone! Rewind almost a decade ago - fans were feeling perplexed by the mere idea of Kat and Jesse dating.
The public seemed to put a giant question mark over their relationship, especially when the pair decided to part ways. Jesse's ex frequently came up in conversation, via THR.
13 Their Life Paths Weren't Perfect
Some couples just aren't on track to succeed, no matter how many tattoos they share!
While Kat and Jesse may have seemed like a cute idea on paper, the pair weren't able to succeed simply because they weren't a good fit together.
After the pair split up, Kat candidly revealed to People that she and Jesse were "On two different paths in life."
12 Kat Didn't Love Losing Locations
The idea of "going the distance" may work for some, depending on how much distance there really is between couples!
For Kat Von D, living in Jesse's home base of Texas felt like more than she could handle. She attempted to set the record straight when she told fans, post-split, "I am not in any way moving to Texas." This gal knows how to set boundaries!
11 Kat Knew When To Call It Quits
Even though old photos of Jesse and Kat together often feature them in a blissful, 'all smiles' state, their relationship was more than tattoos and lipstick.
Sadly, the state of Kat and Jesse's relationship was far from ideal. Kat and Jesse underwent an extremely messy breakup. Jesse got close to many other women during his relationship with Kat.
Kat later called their relationship "toxic."
10 R Stands For Regret
Having to face the public after you've had a breakup has to be a hard and emotional experience. It's understandable when people just want to hide.
Kat Von D did the opposite during a trying time; she stepped forward and told fans she: "Gladly paid the consequences for every mistake [she] ever made". She made this comment right after their split.
9 Love Means Lavish Ink
How love for a significant other is proclaimed varies from couple to couple. Kat's way of proclaiming her love for Jesse was more on the permanent side.
Kat's gift to Jesse was far more permanent than their actual relationship; Kat tattooed a photo of young Jesse on her rib cage but got the tribute removed much later.
8 Kat Took Responsibility For Her Faults
Relationships CAN fold without playing a back-and-forth blame game. Kat attempted to bring some fresh air into the messy nature of her and Jesse's relationship. She stepped forward in an extremely mature way and tackled the topic of their breakup to the public.
Instead of pointing the finger at her ex, Kat wrote in a blog post that she wanted to "Forgive herself for bad mistakes."
7 Jesse Knew What He Wanted From Women
No matter how Kat chose to move through her breakup with Jesse, (our girl took the high road!), there were still some tough times for her to go through, and sadly, she had to swallow some difficult truths about her significant other.
Jesse's behavior throughout their breakup had quite a negative impact on Kat's healing process. According to People, she felt "sad" over his actions.
6 Kat Put A Social Spin On Their Relationship
Kat Von D was putting the 'social' in social media, way back in the day!
She could be considered a trailblazer when it came to letting the world know what was on her mind. Kat went directly to her fans when she and Jesse first called it quits. She let fans know about her breakup by saying, "I'm no longer with Jesse."
5 Kat And Jesse Were Friends First
Despite how fast their relationship began and ended, Jesse and Kat actually took their relationship a bit slow and let it slowly materialize.
Jesse and Kat didn't immediately decide to begin dating; their relationship began organically, as a simple friendship. They then started holding hands!
According to Access, the friendship when Kat was just 22 years old.
4 Love Was No Game For Jesse And Kat
Was it love at first sight for Kat and Jesse? Not quite, and like many people, Kat actually couldn't remember the precise moment when she realized it was love!
Kat cheekily responded to a relationship origin question by saying, "Was it when we were playing Scrabble? I don't remember, but it was something like that." Cheers to the couples who know how to have fun!
3 Nothing Was Too Personal For Kat
Kat's candid conversation about her and Jesse's relationship didn't begin after they split. She was willing to speak on all things related to Jesse publicly...even those parts of his life which were a little slippery.
Some may think there were three people in their relationship, and Kat was willing to talk about the 'elephant in the room' in their relationship. She "stayed away" from the whole divorce thing!
2 Jesse Didn't Care What Others Believed
There's no such thing as too much information in Jesse James' mind!
Jesse's highly publicized relationship and breakup with Sandra Bullock shaped public perception of him, but Jesse didn't care about his divorce in terms of how it impacted his future romantic life.
Sandra, who? Jesse showed he was totally over his ex when he said he "Couldn't worry" about Sandra's opinion about his personal life.
1 Jesse Thought The Future Was Certain
While Jesse and Kat's relationship may have ended up on the sad side, there were still moments where the duo was feeling romantic and optimistic. Optimism, what a forgotten feeling!
Jesse was once head over heels for his bride-to-be. He had high hopes for his future with Kat, and described the thought of the couple growing old together as a "blast."
Sources: Hollywood Reporter, People, Huffington Post, Us Weekly, E!, Access Online, MTV