# A Chronicle of Vows: The Marriages of Billy Bob Thornton and His Famed Union with Angelina Jolie Billy Bob Thornton, the Oscar-winning screenwriter, actor, and musician, is as renowned for his compelling on-screen characters as he is for his complex and highly publicized personal life. Central to his public narrative are his six marriages, a series of unions that range from youthful vows to one of the most famously eccentric partnerships in Hollywood history with Angelina Jolie. This exploration of **Billy Bob Thornton's wives** reveals a journey through love, turmoil, and intense media scrutiny, culminating in a quiet, long-term partnership that stands in stark contrast to his past.  ## The Early Chapters: Four Marriages Before Fame Before his name became synonymous with Hollywood's A-list and his romance with Angelina Jolie became tabloid fodder, Thornton's path to matrimony was already well-trodden. These early relationships were formative, occurring as he navigated the difficult path from a struggling artist in Arkansas to a recognized talent in Los Angeles. ### Melissa Lee Gatlin (1978–1980) Thornton's first marriage was to Melissa Lee Gatlin, a hometown romance that began in Arkansas. Married in 1978 when Thornton was in his early twenties, the union was short-lived, ending in divorce by 1980. From this marriage came his first child, daughter Amanda Brumfield. This period predates Thornton's Hollywood success, representing a chapter of his life grounded in his Southern roots and youthful ambitions. The marriage dissolved as Thornton's focus shifted intently toward his creative pursuits and the promise of a career in entertainment. ### Toni Lawrence (1986–1988) After several years of focusing on his career, Thornton married actress Toni Lawrence in 1986. This marriage coincided with a period of intense struggle for Thornton, who was still trying to gain a foothold in the film industry. Their two-year marriage was reportedly strained by financial hardship and professional uncertainty. In his autobiography, *The Billy Bob Tapes: A Cave Full of Ghosts*, Thornton candidly discussed the poverty he faced during this era, which undoubtedly placed immense pressure on the relationship. They divorced in 1988, just before his career began to gain momentum. ### Cynda Williams (1990–1992) The early 1990s marked a significant turning point for Billy Bob Thornton. His third marriage, to actress Cynda Williams, was directly linked to his professional breakthrough. The two met and co-starred in the critically acclaimed 1992 neo-noir film *One False Move*, which Thornton also co-wrote. The film's success catapulted him from obscurity to critical recognition. Their on-screen chemistry translated into a real-life romance, and they married in 1990. However, like his previous marriages, this one was brief, ending in 1992, the same year their landmark film was released. ### Pietra Dawn Cherniak (1993–1997) Thornton's fourth marriage, to Playboy model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, was his longest to that point and the first to garner significant media attention, albeit for its tumultuous end. They married in 1993 and had two sons together, William and Harry James. This relationship occurred as Thornton's star was rapidly ascending, culminating in his 1996 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for *Sling Blade*. However, their domestic life was fraught with conflict. Cherniak filed for divorce in 1997, accusing Thornton of spousal abuse—claims he has consistently and vehemently denied. The divorce was acrimonious and played out in the press, offering the first glimpse into the volatile nature of Thornton’s high-profile relationships. ## The Whirlwind Romance: Billy Bob and Angelina No chapter in the story of **Billy Bob Thornton's wives** is more iconic, dissected, or mythologized than his marriage to Angelina Jolie. Their relationship was a supernova of passion, eccentricity, and relentless media coverage that defined an era of celebrity culture in the early 2000s. They met in 1999 on the set of the dramedy *Pushing Tin*, where they played a married couple. At the time, Thornton was 44 and engaged to actress Laura Dern, while Jolie was 24 and fresh off her own Oscar win for *Girl, Interrupted*. Their connection was immediate and intense. In a move that shocked Hollywood, they eloped to Las Vegas in May 2000, marrying in a simple ceremony. What followed was a three-year public spectacle of a romance that was both fascinating and bewildering to onlookers. They were inseparable on red carpets, openly demonstrating their affection in ways that broke conventional norms. Their interviews were famous for their candid, and sometimes TMI, declarations of love and lust. Most notoriously, they wore small glass vials containing drops of each other's blood around their necks. While the media portrayed this as a macabre gesture, Jolie later clarified the sentiment behind it. "It was never a vial of blood," she explained. "It was a simple thing, 'Hey, let's poke our fingers with a pen and smear a little blood on this necklace and when we're away from each other we'll wear it.'" Their shared tattoos, including "Billy Bob" famously inked on Jolie's arm, further cemented their image as a couple consumed by their love. Yet, behind the grand gestures, Thornton later reflected on the fundamental incompatibilities that doomed the marriage. He was a homebody who enjoyed watching sports and recording music, while Jolie was evolving into a global humanitarian. In a 2016 interview with *GQ*, Thornton reflected on this dynamic: **"I never felt good enough for her. I'm real comfortable around rich and important people, but I don't walk in the same circles. And I just don't know how many of them I'm that fond of."** The end came as swiftly as the beginning. In March 2002, just months after they had initiated the process to adopt a child from Cambodia, they abruptly separated. Jolie proceeded with the adoption of her son, Maddox, as a single parent. Their divorce was finalized in May 2003. Despite the sudden split, they have remained on amicable terms, often speaking of each other with respect and fondness. Thornton has frequently stated that their primary reason for parting was simply having different lifestyles. ## Stability and Serenity: The Final Marriage to Connie Angland After the whirlwind with Jolie, Thornton entered a period of relative romantic quiet. He began a relationship with Connie Angland, a puppeteer and special effects crew member he met on the set of the 2003 film *Bad Santa*. Their relationship was the antithesis of his marriage to Jolie: private, understated, and far from the glare of the paparazzi. For over a decade, the couple built a life together away from the spotlight. They welcomed a daughter, Bella, in 2004. Thornton, wary of his past marital record, was hesitant to marry again. He often stated in interviews that he felt marriage "didn't work" for him. However, after 12 years together, he and Angland made it official, marrying in a private ceremony at their Los Angeles home in October 2014. Thornton explained that the decision was primarily for their daughter. **"We'd been together for 12 years, and we have a beautiful daughter, and we thought we should do it for her, as much as for us,"** he said. This union represents a different phase in Thornton's life—one defined by stability, family, and a conscious choice to protect his private life. His marriage to Angland has now become his longest, a testament to a partnership built on a foundation far removed from the pressures of Hollywood fame. From the early, short-lived unions of his youth to the explosive, globally famous romance with Angelina Jolie, and finally to the enduring, private partnership with Connie Angland, the story of Billy Bob Thornton's wives is a reflection of his own evolution. It's a narrative of a man who lived his romantic life as intensely and dramatically as his most famous film roles, eventually finding a lasting peace away from the very spotlight that once defined him.