In 1999, the unexpected marriage of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie made headlines and surprised many people.
The couple had a notable 20-year age difference and were both involved with other partners at the time, which added to the excitement.
One person who was shocked was actress Laura Dern, who was engaged to Billy Bob. Laura found out about Billy Bob’s marriage to Angelina at the same time as everyone else, which upset her plans.
Billy Bob and Laura started dating in 1997, right after Laura split from Jeff Goldblum and Billy Bob was still going through a divorce from his fourth wife, Pietra Dawn Cherniak. After two years together, they were engaged and planning their wedding when Billy Bob met Angelina on the set of “Pushing Tin” in 1999.
Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie’s quickie wedding in Las Vegas in May 2000 took many by surprise, including Laura Dern. Laura was caught off guard and shared her feelings in an interview with InStyle: “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.” She felt a sudden sense of loss and confusion with no closure.
Billy Bob never admitted to any wrongdoing but did express regret in a 2001 interview, saying: “Others may say that you left our girl and married someone else. But it made me and somebody else happy. I’m sorry it caused pain.”
In a strange twist, Laura and Angelina had a past connection; Laura had babysat Angelina when they were children, according to Yahoo.
Laura Dern’s father, Bruce Dern, recalled a time when Laura babysat Angelina Jolie. He explained that since he and Jon Voight were working on the movie “Coming Home” in 1978, Laura, who was about 8 years old at the time, watched 2-year-old Angelina at director Hal Ashby’s house.
After Laura and Billy Bob broke up, Laura received support from her friend Melissa Etheridge. Melissa shared on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show that she helped Laura move out of her home with Billy Bob, even having to break into their house to retrieve Laura’s belongings. Melissa added that she had witnessed some of the difficulties Laura faced due to Billy Bob’s relationship with Angelina.
Following these events, Laura moved on with her life. She married Ben Harper and has two children with him, and has also been linked to former NBA player Baron Davis.
Billy Bob and Angelina divorced in 2002. Billy Bob decided to avoid dating celebrities after this, seeking a quieter life. He later married a puppeteer in 2014, aiming for more privacy.
What are your thoughts on this situation? Share your comments below!
Terminally ill man warned others not to make the same mistake he had made
Liam had bravely shared his story to warn others not to make the same mistake that he did. Check in comments.
There are times when despite feeling unwell, we refuse to visit a doctor hoping that the pain would eventually go away on its own. The sad reality is that if we don’t seek medical help when we first feel the symptoms of an illness, it may be too late when we do it.
A 31-year-old man from Middlesborough, UK, who was battling terminal cancer advocated about the importance of regular check-ups and visiting a doctor on time.
Liam Griffiths believed that he could have been able to beat the cancer had he turned to a medical professional sooner.
Despite his efforts to beat the illness, Liam was delivered the devastating news it was fatal.
Namely, he was suffering from peritoneal cancer, a form of cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen.
In an interview, Liam revealed that he started experiencing stomach swelling, chronic constipation, cramps and vomiting in March of 2023. Although his symptoms seemed to be severe, he didn’t visit a doctor because he was self-employed and didn’t want to lose out on wages.
He hoped the symptoms would go away, but they only worsened and became even more severe which forced him to seek medical help. Once at the hospital, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, but a month later he got a call from the doctor and was informed that he was in fact misdiagnosed and that he had cancer.
He started treatments right away, but sadly, his cancer was resistant to the chemotherapy.
Despite the gravity of his situation, this young man found the time and strength to send a message to every person out there, and that message is not to delay the doctor’s visit in case you feel something’s wrong with your body.
“I want to push this message because if just one or two people go to the hospital and get checked because of my mistake and my story, that would be amazing,” he said. “They found my cancer at stage three advanced – but if I had just gone to see the doctors earlier, maybe they could have caught it. I was self-employed, and I needed the money, so I just kept powering through. I did what I thought a man needed to do – I was manning up.”
Not losing hope despite the dull prognosis, Liam’s friend, Eve Bannatyne, started a fundraiser which helped raise over £18,000 in donations for Liam’s private treatment because his chemotherapy on the NHS no longer worked.
“I remember I asked what my life span would look like and my doctor said he doesn’t want to give me a timeframe of when my life could end, because he doesn’t want me to focus my whole life around it,” Liam told Metro.
“I agreed and just decided I wanted to get home, fulfil some wishes and just live my life while I can.”
Sadly, Liam passed away on February 1, 2024.
The memorial service for him was led by Rev John Hearn. Liam’s dad spoke of his son and said, “Liam was a beautiful, funny, caring, big softie. As a kid he was very loving towards his mam and dad. There was always a cuddle. He also had his cheeky side.”
Liam’s life story serves as a reminder that we should always prioritize our health, even if that means losing out on wages or rescheduling certain commitments and duties.
We are so very sorry for this brave man’s passing. May he rest in peace.
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