In 1999, the world was shocked by the unexpected marriage of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie. The couple’s 20-year age gap and the fact that they were both involved with other partners at the time only added to the intrigue.
One person who was particularly taken aback by the news was Laura Dern, Billy Bob’s fiancée at the time. Laura discovered that Billy Bob had married Angelina at the same time as the rest of the world, leaving her feeling shocked and confused.
Billy Bob and Laura had been together since 1997, and were engaged to be married. However, everything changed when Billy Bob met Angelina on the set of Pushing Tin in 1999. The two had a whirlwind romance, culminating in a spontaneous wedding in Las Vegas in May 2000.
Laura was left feeling devastated and confused by the sudden turn of events. In a later interview, she recalled, “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.”
Billy Bob has never explicitly apologized for his actions, but has expressed regret for the pain he caused. In a 2001 interview, he said, “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.”
The situation was made even more complicated by the fact that Laura and Angelina had a prior connection. Laura had babysat Angelina when they were children, as their fathers, Bruce Dern and Jon Voight, were friends.
In the aftermath of the breakup, Laura found support from her friend Melissa Etheridge, who helped her move out of her shared home with Billy Bob. Melissa later recalled, “I was around when Angelina was not doing nice things with Billy Bob to Laura Dern.”
Despite the drama and heartache, everyone involved has since moved on with their lives. Laura has been married to Ben Harper and has also been linked to former NBA player Baron Davis. Billy Bob divorced Angelina in 2002 and has since married a puppeteer, seeking a quieter life away from the spotlight.
