In 1999, the world was shocked by the sudden marriage of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie. The unlikely couple had a significant 20-year age gap, and to make matters more complicated, they were both involved with other partners at the time.
One person caught off guard by the news was Laura Dern, Billy Bob’s fiancée at the time. She found out about the wedding at the same time as the rest of the world, leaving her stunned and confused. Laura and Billy Bob had been together since 1997 and were planning their wedding when he met Angelina on the set of Pushing Tin.
The whirlwind romance between Billy Bob and Angelina culminated in a spontaneous wedding in Las Vegas in May 2000. Laura was left feeling lost and confused, with no closure in sight. She later reflected on the experience, 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.”
Billy Bob never explicitly admitted to any wrongdoing, but he did express regret 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.”
Adding a surprising twist to the story, 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 revealed, “I was around when Angelina was not doing nice things with Billy Bob to Laura Dern. I went through that on a personal level.”
Everyone involved eventually moved forward with their lives. Laura married Ben Harper and later dated former NBA player Baron Davis. Billy Bob divorced Angelina in 2002 and eventually married a puppeteer in 2014, seeking a quieter life away from the spotlight.
