The Lockets Of Love: 5 Shocking Truths About Angelina Jolie’s Infamous Blood Necklace, Finally Revealed

Few Hollywood accessories have ever sparked such intense public fascination and controversy as the legendary "blood necklace" worn by Angelina Jolie during her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton. For over two decades, the story has been sensationalized, painting a picture of a bizarre, gothic, and perhaps unhealthy obsession between two of the industry's most unconventional stars. The truth, however, as recently clarified, is far less macabre and much more of a simple, albeit intense, romantic gesture that was blown wildly out of proportion by the media.

As of December 2025, the narrative surrounding the infamous jewelry has been conclusively set straight, providing a fresh perspective on the three-year marriage that captivated the world from 2000 to 2003. This article dives deep into the real story, the context of their relationship, and the dramatic career shift that followed for the Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie, offering a definitive look at one of Hollywood’s most enduring urban legends.

Angelina Jolie: A Brief Biography and The Era of Edgy Romance

To understand the context of the blood necklace, one must first appreciate the persona of Angelina Jolie at the turn of the millennium. Born Angelina Jolie Voight on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, she is the daughter of actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand.

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Her early career was marked by intense, often dark, and critically acclaimed roles. She won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal in the 1997 television film George Wallace and another for the 1998 HBO film Gia.

The peak of her early fame came with her Academy Award-winning performance as the sociopathic patient Lisa Rowe in the 1999 drama, Girl, Interrupted.

Key Biographical Entities:

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• Full Name: Angelina Jolie Voight
• Born: June 4, 1975 (Los Angeles, California)
• Parents: Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand
• Academy Award: Best Supporting Actress (1999, Girl, Interrupted)
• Breakout Film Roles: Gia, Girl, Interrupted, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Maleficent (2014)
• Marriages: Jonny Lee Miller (1996–1999), Billy Bob Thornton (2000–2003), Brad Pitt (2014–2019)
• Humanitarian Work: Special Envoy and former Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

It was during the filming of the 1999 movie Pushing Tin that she met actor and director Billy Bob Thornton, who was 20 years her senior. Their whirlwind romance led to a spontaneous marriage in Las Vegas in May 2000. The relationship was characterized by intense public displays of affection (PDA), gothic fashion choices, and an overall edgy, non-conformist vibe that kept the tabloids constantly buzzing.

The Shocking Truth Behind the ‘Blood Vial’ Necklaces

The story of the blood necklace became the defining, and most sensationalized, detail of the Jolie-Thornton marriage. The public perception was that the couple wore large, surgical-looking vials filled with each other's blood, a gesture perceived as bizarre and disturbing by many. However, the reality, as explained by Billy Bob Thornton in recent years, paints a completely different, and far more grounded, picture.

It Was a Locket, Not a Vial

In a recent interview, Thornton definitively clarified that the jewelry was not the large "vials of blood" that the media reported. Instead, they were small, silver lockets—the kind you might put a photograph in. The actual "blood" content was literally a single, small drop of blood, obtained with a simple pinprick, that was then sealed inside the locket.

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A Simple Romantic Gesture

Thornton explained that the idea was born out of a practical problem: separation anxiety. At the time, their demanding film careers often meant they were separated for long periods, sometimes flying across continents. Jolie suggested the lockets as a way to keep a piece of each other close at all times. Thornton described it as an innocent and "romantic gesture," similar to wearing a lock of hair or a picture of a loved one.

The entire process was reportedly low-key. According to Thornton, Jolie brought a "clear locket" and a small kit to his hotel room, where they performed the gesture.

The Media Sensation and Misinterpretation

The small, intimate gesture was immediately blown out of proportion. The media, eager for a scandalous story, exaggerated the detail of the "vial," transforming a symbolic act of devotion into a sign of gothic excess and potential mental instability. This sensationalism cemented the couple's reputation as Hollywood's most unconventional and "crazy" pairing, a label that followed them long after their 2003 divorce.

The Real Reason for the Divorce

While the bizarre public image suggested a dramatic split, Thornton has maintained that the divorce was amicable and based on fundamental lifestyle differences, not a breakdown of love. Jolie, who began her humanitarian work after filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in Cambodia, was focused on global causes, while Thornton preferred a quieter, home-based life. The simple incompatibility of their rapidly diverging lifestyles was the true catalyst for the end of their three-year marriage.

From Edgy Starlet to Global Humanitarian: The Shift in Persona

The end of the marriage to Billy Bob Thornton coincided with a profound and permanent shift in Angelina Jolie’s public persona and career focus, a transition that saw her move from an "edgy starlet" to a respected global humanitarian and director.

Her exposure to the refugee crisis while filming in Cambodia was a turning point. This experience led her to contact the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), beginning a dedicated path of activism that has defined her life for the past two decades.

Key Elements of Her Post-Blood Locket Era:

• UNHCR Involvement: She was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR in 2001 and later became a Special Envoy, focusing her work on refugee rights, conservation, education, and women's rights globally.
• The Adoption of Maddox: She adopted her first child, Maddox, from Cambodia in 2002, a decision that happened during the final phase of her relationship with Thornton and marked the beginning of her journey as a mother of six children.
• The "Brangelina" Era: Her subsequent high-profile relationship with actor Brad Pitt, which began around 2004, solidified her status as a global celebrity whose public image was now centered on family, high-level film projects, and large-scale humanitarian efforts.

In retrospect, the "blood necklace" was less of a defining moment and more of a final, highly publicized symbol of the intense, unconventional, and ultimately ephemeral first phase of her adult life. The latest clarification from Billy Bob Thornton, years after the fact, serves as a final, definitive footnote on the sensationalized story, allowing the focus to remain on her enduring legacy as a filmmaker and humanitarian. The lockets of love, once seen as bizarre, are now simply understood as a symbol of a passionate, youthful romance that the world simply misunderstood.