The Six Wives Of Billy Bob Thornton: The Surprising Secret To His Longest-Lasting Marriage

For decades, actor and filmmaker Billy Bob Thornton has been as famous for his prolific career in Hollywood as he has been for his complex and highly-publicized relationship history. As of December 2025, Thornton has been married a remarkable six times, a journey that includes a notorious union with one of the world's biggest movie stars and five other distinct relationships. However, it is his current, low-key marriage that has proven to be his most enduring, a testament to a dramatic shift in the star's personal life.

After a string of highly-charged, short-lived marriages, the *Sling Blade* and *Bad Santa* star has finally settled into a stable life with his sixth wife, Connie Angland. Their journey together began quietly in the early 2000s, and their relationship has now spanned more than two decades, making it by far the longest and most successful of his life. Thornton recently shared the surprisingly simple philosophy that makes this partnership work, a key piece of insight into a man who once wore a vial of his wife's blood around his neck.

Billy Bob Thornton: A Complete Biographical History of His Six Wives

Billy Bob Thornton’s six marriages span more than four decades, beginning in the late 1970s and continuing to the present day. This comprehensive list details each of his wives, their professions, and the duration of their relationship, providing the full context of his romantic journey.

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• First Wife: Melissa Lee Gatlin
  • Profession: Unknown (Non-public figure)
  • Marriage: 1978 – 1980
  • Duration: 2 years
  • Children: One daughter, Amanda Brumfield (born 1979).
  • Note: This was Thornton’s first marriage, occurring before his rise to fame.
• Second Wife: Toni Lawrence
  • Profession: Actress
  • Marriage: 1986 – 1988
  • Duration: 2 years
  • Children: None.
  • Note: Lawrence appeared in films like *The Midnight Hour* (1985). This marriage occurred as Thornton was beginning to find minor roles in Hollywood.
• Third Wife: Cynda Williams
  • Profession: Actress
  • Marriage: 1990 – 1992
  • Duration: 2 years
  • Children: None.
  • Note: Williams starred alongside Thornton in the 1992 film *One False Move*, which he also co-wrote.
• Fourth Wife: Pietra Dawn Cherniak
  • Profession: Former *Playboy* model
  • Marriage: February 1993 – April 1997
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Children: Two sons, William (born 1993) and Harry James (born 1994).
  • Note: This was his longest marriage until his current one and is the mother of two of his children.
• Fifth Wife: Angelina Jolie
  • Profession: Actress, Filmmaker, Humanitarian
  • Marriage: May 2000 – May 2003
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Children: None together.
  • Note: Their highly publicized, eccentric relationship, which included wearing vials of each other's blood, made them one of the most talked-about couples in the early 2000s. They met on the set of *Pushing Tin* (1999).
• Sixth Wife: Connie Angland
  • Profession: Puppeteer, Visual Effects Artist, Makeup Artist
  • Marriage: October 2014 – Present
  • Duration: Over 11 years (as of late 2025)
  • Children: One daughter, Bella Thornton (born 2004).
  • Note: They began dating in 2003, one year before Bella's birth, and waited over a decade to marry.

Connie Angland: The Woman Who Cracked the Code

After five failed marriages, including a whirlwind, media-frenzied union with Angelina Jolie, Billy Bob Thornton found a completely different kind of partner in Connie Angland. Their relationship is characterized by stability, privacy, and a shared, low-key approach to life.

Angland is not a typical Hollywood spouse. She is an industry veteran, but she works behind the scenes. Her career as a puppeteer, visual effects artist, and special effects makeup artist has seen her contribute to major films, including blockbusters like *Men in Black* and *Planet of the Apes*.

Thornton and Angland first met in May 2003, shortly after his divorce from Jolie was finalized. They began dating quietly, and their daughter, Bella Thornton, was born in September 2004. Bella is the youngest of Thornton’s four children and is now an emerging writer and filmmaker in her own right.

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Despite having a child together and living as a couple for over a decade, the pair waited until October 2014 to officially tie the knot. This long engagement was a deliberate choice, reflecting Thornton’s desire to keep the relationship out of the media spotlight and avoid the pressures that contributed to his previous divorces.

The Surprising Secret to Billy Bob's Longest Marriage

In recent interviews, Billy Bob Thornton has reflected on his six marriages, offering a surprisingly candid and simple explanation for why his relationship with Connie Angland has lasted. After the intense scrutiny and dramatic nature of his past pairings, he realized that a successful marriage for him needed to be the opposite of a spectacle.

Thornton explained that the key to their enduring connection is its low-drama, relaxed nature. When asked about his marriage to Connie, he offered a pithy, understated summary: "We do fine." This seemingly dry quote holds the secret to their success. According to Thornton, they are not trying to "set the world on fire" or live up to a grand, public expectation. They simply enjoy their private life together.

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This approach is a stark contrast to his marriage with Angelina Jolie, which was marked by public displays of affection, matching tattoos, and intense media coverage. With Angland, the focus is on domesticity and mutual respect, away from the Hollywood circus. Thornton has embraced a quieter life, one centered on his family and his artistic pursuits, which include his work with his band, The Boxmasters.

Why the Sixth Time Was the Charm

The stability of the Angland-Thornton marriage seems to stem from a few key factors that were missing in his previous relationships. First, Connie Angland is not a celebrity seeking the spotlight. Her work in visual effects is demanding but private, allowing the couple to maintain a high degree of normalcy.

Second, the long-term nature of their dating period—over 11 years before marriage—allowed them to build a deep foundation without the pressure of a rushed commitment. Thornton openly admitted that he resisted marriage for a long time simply because he didn't want the press to label Connie "Number Six." This consideration for her privacy and well-being is a sign of a more mature and thoughtful partnership.

The six marriages of Billy Bob Thornton offer a fascinating study in celebrity relationships. While his past unions provided tabloid fodder and unforgettable moments in pop culture history, it is his quiet, long-term relationship with Connie Angland that has given him the lasting happiness he sought. The secret, it turns out, was not a grand gesture or a dramatic romance, but simply finding someone who was content to "do fine" with him, away from the glare of the spotlight.