The Story of How Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton Fell in Love Will Make You Think They Were Made for Each Other 

Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton had one of the most unforgettable—and bizarre—romances in Hollywood history. Their relationship was chaotic and unpredictable, filled with surprises, drama, and a touch of weirdness.

From a secret Las Vegas wedding to wearing vials of each other’s blood around their necks, the pair didn’t just fall in love—they lived it in the most intense and unusual way possible. But just as quickly as it began, their relationship ended in a flash, leaving everyone wondering what really happened.

Their love story was anything but ordinary. After meeting on the set of the movie Pushing Tin, the two quickly fell for each other. What started as a typical Hollywood romance soon turned into something out of a tabloid’s wildest dreams. But not every fairy tale has a happy ending.

Despite all the drama, both stars have stayed friends after the split, and their whirlwind romance still gets talked about today. Ready to find out what made this couple one of the most unforgettable in Hollywood? Hold on tight!

How Did Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton Meet?

Would Thornjelina even exist if it weren’t for Pushing Tin? This air traffic control dramedy brought these two crazy souls together in 1999, but here’s the twist—at the time, they were both in other relationships.

Billy Bob Thornton was with actress Laura Dern, and Angelina Jolie was freshly out of her marriage to actor Johnny Lee Miller. So, what do they do? They go and fall in love on the set of a movie about infidelity. In Pushing Tin, Jolie and Thornton played a married couple navigating the rocky aftermath of cheating.

But on set, things weren’t just acting. It didn’t take long for the sparks to fly between them—well, the kind that you’d find in a 2000s Hollywood romance. The pair quickly became inseparable, moving from co-stars to lovers in no time.

So, was it fate or just a really good movie moment? You decide. But what’s clear is that the moment these two locked eyes, the Hollywood rulebook was thrown out the window. Nothing would be the same again.

When Did Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton Marry?

In May 2000, just a few months after they’d started dating, Thornton and Jolie shocked everyone by getting married in Las Vegas. This wasn’t your typical Hollywood wedding—there were no huge celebrations or fancy gowns.

Instead, they went for something super casual. Jolie kept things simple, wearing her hair pulled back and barely any makeup. The wedding was low-key, but it left everyone stunned.

And, as if this couldn’t get any crazier, Thornton’s ex-fiancée, Lara Dern, was still in the picture. She was working on a movie when she found out that her fiancé had married someone else—and not just anyone else, but Angelina Jolie.

This quick Vegas wedding was just the beginning of what would be a very unusual—and very public—love story. By 2001, the stars were wearing vials of each other’s blood around their necks. Thornton told The Insider the media blew it out of proportion, but to them, it was just a sweet, simple gesture.

Do Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton Have Any Children Together?

When people think of AJ’s kids, they often think of her family with Brad Pitt—especially her first adopted son, Maddox. But here’s something most people don’t know: before she met Pitt, Jolie had adopted Maddox, and she actually started the adoption process with Billy Bob Thornton.

According to Bright Side, the couple decided to adopt a baby from Cambodia in 2002. They both publicly announced that they were going to adopt a child, and Maddox was the baby they chose. But after their split, things took a different turn.

Jolie adopted Maddox on her own, and she made it clear that Thornton wasn’t involved in the adoption process after their divorce. There’s been little to no public discussion from Thornton about Maddox, and many believe that he wasn’t really part of Maddox’s life after the divorce.

So, while they planned to raise a child together, things didn’t work out the way they expected. They didn’t have children together, but Maddox became a part of her life before, during, and after her time with Thornton.

When and How Did Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton Divorce?

Their whirlwind romance couldn’t last forever. Just two years after their Vegas wedding, Thornton and Jolie called it quits in the summer of 2002. The breakup was just as sudden as their relationship had been.

There was no big public argument or dramatic reveal—just a quiet end to what had once been a very hot and heavy romance. In the years after their split, Angie finally opened up a little about what went wrong. In a 2004 interview with Vogue (via Bride), she explained:

It took me by surprise, too, because overnight, we totally changed. I think one day we had just nothing in common. And it’s scary but… I think it can happen when you get involved and you don’t know yourself yet.

So, just as quickly as it started, it ended. Jolie eventually removed her “Billy Bob” tattoo from her arm, making it clear that their time together was a chapter in her past. Thornton, for his part, has always kept things pretty quiet about their split, but his tattoo removal might have been his own way of erasing the past.

Surprisingly, despite the drama of their split, they’ve managed to stay friends. Both moved on to different relationships—Jolie with Pitt and her humanitarian work, and Thornton with his music and acting. But even though their marriage didn’t last, they’ve both said that they still respect each other and remain on good terms.