Laura Dern recalls how fiancé secretly left her for Angelina Jolie

In 1999, the surprise marriage of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie grabbed headlines, leaving many astonished.

Not only did the couple share a significant 20-year age gap, but they were also both involved with other partners at the time, adding to the intrigue.

Among those blindsided was actress Laura Dern, Billy Bob’s fiancée. According to Laura, she learned about her partner’s wedding to Angelina at the same time as the public did, throwing a curveball into her relationship plans.

Billy Bob and Laura’s relationship began in 1997, shortly after Laura’s split from Jeff Goldblum and Billy Bob’s ongoing divorce from his fourth wife, Pietra Dawn Cherniak, per E! Online. After two years together they were engaged and preparing for a wedding when Billy Bob crossed paths with Angelina on the set of Pushing Tin in 1999.

Their whirlwind romance culminated in a spontaneous wedding in Las Vegas in May 2000, catching Laura off guard. Reflecting on the abrupt turn of events, Laura shared (via 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.” The situation left her feeling a sense of sudden loss and confusion, with no closure in sight.

While Billy Bob has never explicitly acknowledged any wrongdoing, he did express regret in a 2001 interview, stating, per the Mirror: “Others may say that you left our girl and married someone else. But it made me happy and somebody else happy. I’m sorry it caused pain.”

Adding an odd twist to the narrative, Laura and Angelina had a prior connection, with Laura having babysat Angelina when they were children, Yahoo detailed