Billy Bob Thornton, an actor renowned for his raw talent, eccentric personality, and tumultuous personal life, is no stranger to the public eye. His relationships, especially his marriages, have often made headlines. Of particular note is his high-profile marriage to actress Angelina Jolie, a whirlwind romance that captivated the world. However, despite their intense and unconventional bond, their relationship ended abruptly after just three years. Now, years later, Thornton has revealed the reasons behind the collapse of his marriage to Jolie, shedding light on the complexities of their brief but explosive time together.

Billy Bob Thornton’s early life was far from glamorous. Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1955, he grew up in a small shack without electricity or plumbing. Moving from town to town in Arkansas, Thornton was raised by his father, a high school teacher and basketball coach, and his mother, who claimed to be a psychic. Struggling with dyslexia, Thornton had difficulty in school, though he found solace in sports, particularly baseball. His attempts to pursue a career in sports were derailed after an injury during a tryout for the Kansas City Royals. After a brief stint at Henderson State University, he dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Thornton faced a series of dead-end jobs, including telemarketing and offshore wind farming, while trying to break into the film industry. His big break came in the 1990s, with roles in films like One False Move (1992) and Sling Blade (1996), the latter of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and established him as a serious actor and filmmaker.

While his professional life flourished, Thornton’s personal life was equally eventful, especially his complicated love life. He married six times, with each union drawing public attention. His first marriage to Melissa Lee Gatlin in 1978 ended in divorce in 1980. His second marriage to actress Toni Lawrence in 1986 was short-lived, lasting only two years. Thornton’s third marriage, to actress Cinda Williams, was more of a friendship than a romantic partnership, and they divorced in 1992. His fourth marriage to Petra Dawn Chernek was marred by allegations of spousal abuse, which Petra later claimed in a 1997 divorce filing. Although Thornton denied these accusations, the relationship ended on a bitter note. Despite the controversies, it was his marriage to Angelina Jolie that would become the most infamous.

Thornton and Jolie’s relationship began unexpectedly in 1999 on the set of Pushing Tin, a film about infidelity that mirrored their own growing connection. At the time, Thornton was engaged to actress Laura Dern, but he left her for Jolie, and within months, they were married in a Las Vegas ceremony in May 2000. The couple quickly became one of Hollywood’s most talked-about duos, not for their red carpet appearances, but for their eccentric and intense behavior. They famously wore vials of each other’s blood around their necks, a gesture that only fueled public fascination. Their passionate and unconventional relationship was filled with surprises, from their open expressions of love to their purchase of a lavish Beverly Hills home previously owned by Slash of Guns N’ Roses. They were often spotted kissing in public and openly discussing the intensity of their love in interviews.

However, despite the fire of their romance, the relationship began to unravel within two years. The media buzz around their blood vials and wild antics began to overshadow their personal lives, and by 2002, rumors of infidelity and emotional distance started to surface. Thornton reportedly sought therapy for sex addiction, and some rumors suggested an affair with his therapist. Though neither Thornton nor Jolie ever confirmed or denied the rumors, it was clear that their relationship was strained. Thornton and Jolie’s differing paths in life ultimately led to their split, and in the summer of 2002, they quietly divorced.

In the years following their divorce, both Thornton and Jolie spoke publicly about their split. Jolie later revealed that they had simply grown apart, noting that both she and Thornton had changed significantly during their brief marriage, making it impossible for them to stay together. She admitted that they no longer had anything in common and that their once-passionate relationship had shifted. Thornton echoed these sentiments, stating that their breakup came as a surprise and that he felt confused about what had gone wrong.

The end of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie’s marriage is a reminder of how even the most intense and passionate relationships can fade when individuals change and grow in different directions. Their whirlwind romance may have been unconventional and full of surprises, but ultimately, it was their inability to stay on the same path that led to their separation. Today, both have moved on with their lives, but their time together remains one of the most memorable and talked-about love stories in Hollywood.