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!
Trace Adkins Reflects on Toby Keith’s Patriotic Legacy, Delivering an Emotional Rendition of ‘American Soldier’
Adkins said, quoting Keith, “Never apologize for being patriotic,” from the platform.
On July 29, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, Trace Adkins takes the stage at Bridgestone Arena. Image courtesy of Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
In the two-hour NBC program Toby Keith: American Icon, Trace Adkins paid a moving homage to Toby Keith, recalling their many years of traveling together and the significant influence Keith had via his patriotism.
Adkins was one of the few artists that really know Toby Keith and the man behind the scenes, having been friends with Keith for many years and going on tours with. Adkins paused to remember the poignant message that Keith conveyed at the conclusion of each of his live performances before giving an incredibly emotional and beautiful rendition of “American Solider” in honor of Keith and his dedication to the military.
“I’ve known Toby for a very long time, and we did a lot of gigs together while on multiple tours together. I seem to recall that at the end of each performance he gave, he would always say, “Never apologize for being patriotic.” Every night, he said that, Adkins noted. And since, my God, he really did believe that, I realized while he was saying it that it was both a challenge to the rest of us and a window into Toby Keith’s personality.
Keith lived what he preached, and Adkins praised him for it. Keith had undertaken 11 USO Tours, performing in front of 256,000 soldiers and military families in 18 nations at over 285 engagements.
“He had a deep-rooted love and respect for the men and women who have served this country.” It was real, authentic, and meaningful. With a rich, baritone voice, he remarked, “I always respected him so much for that.” “Toby is someone I could talk about all night, but for now I’ll just say that I’m glad I got to know him and call him a friend. We miss you, Toby. Thank you.
Trace Adkins performed “American Solider” in a terrifying manner a short while later. On the screen behind him, pictures of Toby Keith and his numerous USO Tours displayed during his performance. Toby Keith: American Icon gave a truly remarkable performance, and it was undoubtedly an emotional time.
Written by Keith and Chuck Cannon, “American Solider” was published in November 2003. It can be found on the album Hi Shock’n Y’all and has an RIAA Platinum certification.
Among the many famous country musicians that gave their all to pay tribute to the late Toby Keith was Trace Adkins. Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Scotty Emerick, Brett Favre, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Krystal Keith, Ella Langley, Mac McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Leanne Morgan, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Clay Walker, and Lainey Wilson were among the performers and special guests on the two-hour special.
The special featured a variety of musical performances that showcased Keith’s amazing songwriting and music, but it also emphasized his kindness and generosity by supporting The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Families from both groups seemed to tell the stories of how they were helped and supported when things were really hard.
NBC broadcast Toby Keith: American Icon on Wednesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The next day, Peacock will offer the episode for streaming.
On February 5, 2024, the legendary country music performer Toby Keith departed from this life due to stomach cancer. He had an astounding 32 No. 1 hits over his career and sold an astounding 40 million albums.
Given that he has achieved a chart-topping hit for 20 years running, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was,” it should come as no surprise that he is considered one of country music’s biggest hitmakers.
In addition to being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (after being admitted into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), he has been awarded the National Medal of Arts and the prestigious Merle Haggard Spirit Award by the Academy of Country Music.
The Oklahoma native won three BMI Country Songwriter of the Year awards over his career in addition to the BMI Icon Award. In 2006, his popular song “As Good As I Once Was” won BMI’s Country Song of the Year.
To date, Toby Keith’s music has received 100 million terrestrial radio spins and over 10 billion streaming.
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