In 1999, the world was left stunned by the unexpected marriage of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie. This surprising union not only had a significant 20-year age gap, but both Thornton and Jolie were also involved with other partners at the time. One of the people blindsided by this celebrity romance was actress Laura Dern, Thornton’s fiancée at the time.
Billy Bob and Laura had started their relationship in 1997, shortly after Laura’s split from Jeff Goldblum and Billy Bob’s ongoing divorce from his fourth wife, Pietra Dawn Cherniak. After two years together, they were engaged and preparing for their wedding when Billy Bob crossed paths with Angelina on the set of “Pushing Tin” in 1999.
Their whirlwind romance quickly led to an impulsive wedding in Las Vegas in May 2000, catching Laura completely off guard. Laura shared her feelings about the abrupt turn of events, saying, “I 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.” It was a sudden loss that left her feeling confused and without closure.
While Billy Bob has never explicitly acknowledged any wrongdoing, he did express regret in a 2001 interview, saying, “Others may say that you left our girl and married someone else. But it made me happy and somebody else happy. I’m sorry it caused pain.”
To make matters even more bizarre, Laura and Angelina had a prior connection. Laura had actually babysat Angelina when they were children. According to Laura’s father, Bruce Dern, “Jon Voight’s a friend of mine, so I remember Laura babysat one night for Angelina when Angelina was 2 and Laura about 8… because Jon and I were doing ‘Coming Home.’ They were staying over at [director] Hal Ashby’s house, so they asked [Laura] to come over [to watch Angie].”
Following the breakup, Laura found support from her friend Melissa Etheridge, who recounted the difficult process of helping Laura move out of her shared home with Billy Bob. Melissa shared, “I was around when Angelina was not doing nice things with Billy Bob to Laura Dern. I went through that on a personal level, and then to know the side of Jennifer and Brad. I helped Laura move out of her house with Billy Bob — I like broke into their home to get their stuff out because it was so nasty.”
Since then, Laura has moved on with her life. She eventually married Ben Harper, with whom she shares two children, and has been linked to former NBA player Baron Davis. As for Billy Bob and Angelina, they divorced in 2002, with Billy Bob retreating from dating celebrities due to privacy concerns. In 2014, he married a puppeteer, seeking a quieter life away from the spotlight.
This shocking story highlights the unpredictable nature of relationships and reminds us that even celebrities are not immune to heartbreak and sudden changes. So, what do you think of this situation? Let us know in the comments!
