Angelina Jolie and ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton were one of Hollywood’s most talked-about couples, and Thursday, May 5, would’ve been their 22nd anniversary if they had remained together.
The couple tied the knot in 2000 and divorced just three years later, in 2003. But, thanks to their drama-filled whirlwind romance, Hollywood hasn’t quite seen another couple like them to this day.
The former couple struck a romance after meeting on the set of the 1999 film Pushing Tin. However, at the time, both actors had different significant others in their lives.
Billy was engaged to then-fiancée Laura Dern, while Angelina was dating fellow actor Timothy Hutton. The Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actress was also fresh out of her first marriage with Johnny Lee Miller, who is also an actor.
Angelina and Billy played a married couple who deal with relationship troubles after a bout of infidelity in the 1999 film.
Just a few months after meeting, the couple had a whirlwind wedding in Las Vegas, while Billy was reportedly still engaged to Laura Dern.
Laura said after the wedding that she “left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I’ve never heard from him again.”
During their red carpet appearances as a married couple, Angelina and Billy couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The pair kept kissing in front of the paparazzi and also let out some private details about their relationship.
When asked about the most exciting thing they’d ever done in a car “individually or together,” Billy said during the premiere of Gone in 60 Seconds, “I think it was today. My favourite one in a car was today, just before we got here. What is this MTV? Well, here’s… you want me to be honest with you? We f****d in the car on the way here.”
Despite their bold moves in front of the media, the world was left shocked when they began wearing vial necklaces which contained each other’s blood.
In 2000, the pair revealed that they were set to adopt Angelina’s (now) eldest son Maddox from Cambodia, but their plans changed along the way and the two split up.
The actress later adopted Maddox as a single parent.
What was the deal with those blood vial necklaces?
In a 2018 interview with People, Billy dished out what those blood vial necklaces were all about. The star claimed that the media made a big deal out of them.
“The necklaces were a very simple thing, ‘Hey let’s poke our fingers with a pen and smear a little blood on there and when we’re away from each other we’ll wear the necklace,’ ” the now 66-year-old actor said. “It was that easy. But by the time it came out in the press, it sounded like we were wearing a bucket of blood around our necks.”
Billy also spoke fondly of his ex-wife. He said: “Angie is still a friend of mine and she’s a great person and she’s done so much,” he said.
“She makes movies that are important to her whether they succeed or fail, she still does what she believes in and I’ll always respect her for that.”
Does Billy Bob Thornton have any kids?
The Sling Blade actor, who has been married six times, is currently with Connie Angland, with whom he tied the knot in 2014. The pair share a 17-year-old daughter named Bella Thornton.
The actor also has three other kids from his previous relationships: Amanda Thornton (42), William Thornton (28) and Harry James Thornton (27).
