Billy Bob Thornton Finally Explains the Truth Behind the ‘Vials of Blood’ with Angelina Jolie

Billy Bob Thornton is clearing up one of the most talked-about rumors from his relationship with Angelina Jolie.

The story about the two of them wearing necklaces filled with each other’s blood followed them for years, but Thornton says it was greatly exaggerated. He spoke about it in new interviews with Rolling Stone and Esquire.

Thornton explained that he and Jolie never wore blood “vials” like the tabloids claimed. Instead, they had small lockets that held just a tiny bit of blood. He said, “We each had a little locket, literally with a drop of blood in them.”

He added that the idea grew into something wild once the media picked it up. According to him, people started imagining things and turning them into jokes. As he put it, “By the time it’s over, we’re vampires. We live in a dungeon, we drink each other’s blood.”

In his talk with Esquire, Thornton said the idea came from Jolie. He explained that they were apart often and she wanted something meaningful to keep with them. He shared, “It was Angie’s idea… When we’re apart, I thought this would be cool.” He described how they used small lockets meant for photos. They cut their fingers with a razor blade, wiped a bit of blood inside, closed the lockets, and wore them. He called it a simple romantic gesture.

Thornton and Jolie met while filming the 1999 movie Pushing Tin. At the time, Thornton was engaged to actress Laura Dern, but that relationship ended before he and Jolie got married in 2000.

They separated a couple of years later and finalized their divorce in 2003. Even though their marriage ended, Thornton said they stayed on good terms. He told Rolling Stone, “Angelina and I had a great time together… She and I are still very, very close friends.” He said they broke up because their lives were taking different paths, not because of any big fight.

He also talked about how strange it felt when their relationship suddenly became a huge story for the press. Thornton said he was more famous when they first met, but once they became a couple, the media attention around them became intense. He said, “We couldn’t go anywhere… we would say things that became sound bites or whatever.”

After their split, Jolie later began her well-known relationship with Brad Pitt. They met while filming the 2005 movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Over the years, they built a large family together before getting married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016.

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