Angelina Jolie's Ex Billy Bob Thornton Calls Wearing the Actress' Blood Around His Neck 'One of the Greatest Times of My Life' — But Denies Being a 'Vampire'

Billy Bob Thornton has opened up on his whirlwind romance with Angelina Jolie and finally explained the longstanding rumor claiming they wore macabre matching vials of each other's blood around their necks, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

While reflecting on their marriage, Thornton, 70, admitted the era was "one of the greatest times of my life."

While some fans were all-in on Jolie and Thornton's romance, others found the couple disturbing, particularly due to a rumor alleging they wore necklaces containing each other's blood, sparking further and more outlandish claims about them being "vampires."

During a recent interview, Thornton set the record straight on their eyebrow-raising "romantic little idea."

"We each had a little locket, literally with a drop of blood in them," Thornton explained. "That's a romantic little idea, and that's all that was. But by the time it's over, we're vampires. We live in a dungeon, we drink each other's blood, and this kind of stuff."

Despite the couple's hot and heavy start, which included branding themselves with matching tattoos, the marriage ended in 2003.

But according to Thornton, the relationship ended on good terms – and he only had fond things to say about his ex-wife 22 years after their divorce.

"And of course, Angelina and I had a great time together. That was one of the greatest times of my life," the actor said. "The and I are still very, very close friends. And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup."

Thornton noted: "We simply split up because our lifestyles were so different."

Jolie and Thornton first met on the set of Pushing Tin in 1999. At the time, the movie star was engaged to Laura Dern, whom he had been dating since 1997 and shared a home with.

Despite his relationship with Dern, Thornton became romantically involved with Jolie.

The pair shocked fans – and Dern – when they eloped in Las Vegas in May 2000 while Thornton was still engaged to the Jurassic Park star, who was away filming at the time.

For better or worse, Jolie and Thornton's relationship dominated headlines, developing a reputation for packing on the PDA and indulging in a shared gothic aesthetic.

A year after Jolie and Thornton finalized their divorce, the actress stumbled into yet another controversial relationship which blossomed on a movie set.

Jolie met future second husband Brad Pitt, who was married to Jennifer Aniston, while filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004.

After Pitt and Aniston announced their separation in 2005, his romance with his co-star made headlines – and once again Jolie's relationship divided fans.

The Maleficent star and Pitt dated for years before getting married in August 2014.

As RadarOnline.com readers know, Jolie's marriage to Pitt ended dramatically following an incident on their private jet in 2016, in which the actress alleged her husband was verbally and physically abusive to her and their kids in a drunken rage.

The separation went on to become one of Hollywood's most bitter divorces. For nearly a decade, the couple battled it out in court before finalizing their divorce in December 2024.

While they finally closed the chapter on their divorce, the legal war rages on as they fight over their French winery.