Like Henry VIII, Actor Billy Bob Thornton Has Had Six Wives — Who Are They?
Billy Bob Thornton has been described as "not the marrying kind."
Updated Nov. 17 2025, 9:35 a.m. ET
Billy Bob Thornton and his sixth wife Connie Angland
You know what they say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Actor Billy Bob Thornton really took that to heart when it came to his love life. His most high-profile marriage was to Angelina Jolie.
Most of us remember the time they wore tiny lockets containing a drop of each other's blood. What many don't know is that the Oscar-winning actor has been married six times.
All but one of his legally binding relationships were short and rocky. His sixth walk down the aisle happened in 2014 and is still going strong. Let's take a look at Billy Bob's six marriages.
Billy Bob and Angelina Jolie at their wedding in 2000.
Billy Bob Thornton's first five marriages never lasted more than four years.
In 1978, Billy Bob married fellow Arkansas native Melissa Lee Gatlin. According to People, they divorced in 1980. Melissa cited incompatibility and adultery on Billy's part.
In 2011, their daughter Amanda was found guilty in connection with the 2008 death of her friend's 1-year-old toddler, per the Orlando Sentinel.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was released in September 2020.
Six years after his first divorce, Billy Bob got hitched again, this time to an actor, Toni Lawrence.
He and Toni Lawrence also stayed married for two years. Toni told People in 1997 that Billy Bob was "very troubled." She left the world of acting, remarried, and became a potter.
Billy Bob's ex-wife, Cynda Williams.
Only two years passed between Billy Bob's second and third wives. He married actor Cynda Williams in 1990 after co-starring in the film One False Move.
Two years later, they were done. She said they had no business being married.
Billy Bob's fourth wife was Playboy model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, whom he wed in 1993.
They went on to have two sons together: William in 1993 and Harry in 1994. This marriage lasted one year longer than the previous three.
Their split shocked those who knew them. Natalie Canerda, his co-star in Sling Blade, told People she just didn't think Billy Bob was the marrying kind.
Billy Bob and wife Pietra at the 1997 Academy Awards.
Billy Bob Thornton's fifth and sixth marriages were different.
Billy Bob opened up about his three-year marriage to Angelina Jolie while guesting on the HFPA in Conversation podcast in July 2018.
From 2000 to 2003, they were the couple people were excited and utterly baffled by.
Billy Bob and Angelina Jolie in 2001.
"I look at that time as a great time," he said. "Angie is still a friend of mine, and she’s a great person, and she’s done so much."
They parted ways because the couple had different lifestyles. Hers was "global" and his was "agoraphobic."
From the outside, it looks like Billy Bob's sixth marriage is the one that's going to make it. As of this writing, he has been married to Connie Angland for 11 years.
Billy Bob told Fox News Digital in June 2025 that he and Connie have been together for 23 years. They have a 20-year-old daughter who attends California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Billy Bob Thornton with his sixth wife Connie Angland
Billy Bob references the strong friendship he and Connie have.
"I mean, the whole romantic part of it has to be there, but at the base of it has to be a friendship, and we are friends."
The couple met on the set of the 2003 dark comedy Bad Santa where Connie was working as a puppeteer and makeup and special effects artist.
They ultimately tied the knot for the sake of their daughter, Bella.