Bella Thornton Biography: Billy Bob Thornton’s Youngest Daughter, Age, Mother Connie Angland, College Life and Private Story in 2026

Bella Thornton is the youngest daughter of actor, filmmaker and musician Billy Bob Thornton and his longtime wife, special-effects artist Connie Angland. Born on September 22, 2004, in Los Angeles, Bella is 21 years old as of September 7, 2026, and will turn 22 later this month. Unlike her Oscar-winning father, she has largely grown up outside the Hollywood spotlight. Recent reporting shows that she is now attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where Billy Bob proudly describes himself as a devoted “Cal Poly dad.” For a reliable overview of the Thornton family, see PEOPLE’s profile of Billy Bob Thornton’s children.

Quick Bio of Bella Thornton

The strongest recent information comes directly from Billy Bob Thornton himself. In a 2025 Esquire interview, he said Bella was 21, a college sophomore and studying biology and English. Cal Poly then reported in April 2026 that Bella was still a sophomore and that her father regularly talks about how proud he is of her school.

Who Is Bella Thornton?

Bella Thornton is Billy Bob Thornton’s fourth and youngest child.

She is also the only child Billy shares with Connie Angland.

Billy already had three children before Bella arrived:

Amanda Brumfield,

William Langston Thornton,

and Harry James Thornton.

Bella was born more than a decade after Billy’s two sons, giving him another experience of raising a baby later in life. PEOPLE reports that when Bella arrived, Billy joked that although it had been years since he had cared for an infant, he had not forgotten how diapers worked.

Unlike many children of Hollywood stars, Bella was never turned into a regular public personality.

She sometimes appeared beside her parents at events.

But her everyday life remained mostly private.

That privacy continues even now that she is an adult.

When Was Bella Thornton Born?

The best-supported date is September 22, 2004.

PEOPLE reported that Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Angland welcomed Bella on September 22, 2004, after announcing the pregnancy earlier that year. Esquire later indirectly confirmed the date by explaining that Billy reserves September 22—and travel days around it—so he never misses his daughter’s birthday.

There is some confusion online because IMDb and several secondary biography websites give September 24, 2004.

The stronger current sources support September 22.

Therefore, as of September 7, 2026, Bella is 21 years old.

She will turn 22 on September 22, 2026.

Where Was Bella Thornton Born?

PEOPLE identifies Los Angeles as Bella’s birthplace.

She grew up in a family deeply connected with the movie industry, but her childhood does not appear to have been organized around becoming a celebrity herself.

Her father was already one of Hollywood’s best-known actors by the time she arrived.

Billy had won an Academy Award for the screenplay of Sling Blade and had appeared in films including:

Armageddon,

A Simple Plan,

Monster’s Ball,

The Man Who Wasn’t There,

and Bad Santa.

Bella therefore grew up around entertainment, but that did not automatically mean she wanted to follow exactly the same career.

Who Is Bella Thornton’s Father?

Bella’s father is Billy Bob Thornton, born August 4, 1955, in Arkansas.

He is an actor, screenwriter, filmmaker and musician.

One of his biggest breakthroughs came with Sling Blade, which he wrote, directed and starred in.

His screenplay won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Over the years, Billy became known for movies such as:

One False Move,

Tombstone,

Armageddon,

Monster’s Ball,

Bad Santa,

and Friday Night Lights.

His television roles have included Fargo, Goliath and, more recently, Taylor Sheridan’s Landman.

Bella has become unexpectedly relevant to that latest role.

Bella Helped Inspire Billy Bob Thornton’s Landman Performance

Billy plays Tommy Norris in Landman.

Tommy is extremely protective of his daughter, Ainsley.

That part of the character came naturally to Billy.

Why?

Because he already feels that way about Bella.

During a 2024 screening, Billy explained that Bella had recently turned 20 and started college at Cal Poly. He said being protective of the young woman playing his onscreen daughter was easy because those feelings already existed in his real life.

It is a small but interesting connection between Bella and her father’s work.

She is not acting in Landman.

Yet Billy’s relationship with her helped him understand part of Tommy Norris.

Who Is Bella Thornton’s Mother?

Bella’s mother is Connie Angland.

Connie has an interesting Hollywood career of her own.

But she worked mostly behind the camera.

PEOPLE describes her as a puppeteer and makeup and special-effects artist whose film credits include:

Arachnophobia,

Men in Black,

Planet of the Apes,

and Men in Black II.

That means both of Bella’s parents have film-industry experience, but in very different ways.

Billy became famous in front of the camera.

Connie helped create what audiences saw behind it.

How Did Billy Bob Thornton Meet Connie Angland?

Billy and Connie met in 2003.

Connie’s sister Carrie worked as Billy’s makeup artist on Bad Santa.

According to Billy’s later account, Connie visited the set, and the relationship developed from there.

They welcomed Bella the following year.

For years, however, they did not marry.

Billy had already experienced five marriages and was openly unsure whether he wanted another wedding.

He felt their relationship worked the way it was.

Bella eventually helped change that.

Bella Was an Important Reason Her Parents Married

Billy and Connie married on October 22, 2014.

They had already been together for more than a decade.

Billy later said the wedding was largely for Bella.

As Bella became old enough to understand relationships, she naturally wondered why her mother and father were not married.

Billy explained that he had avoided marriage partly because of his previous record and because he did not want the press reducing Connie to “wife number six.”

Eventually, he and Connie quietly married at their Los Angeles home in front of family.

That makes Bella an interesting part of their marriage story.

She was not merely their child.

She helped inspire them to make their long relationship legally official.

Billy Bob Thornton Has Bella’s Name Tattooed on His Arm

Billy’s attachment to his youngest daughter is visible—literally.

He has Bella’s name tattooed on his left arm.

PEOPLE reported the tattoo, while Esquire’s 2025 profile again noted it when discussing how important Bella is to him.

Esquire described Bella as essentially the center of her father’s world.

Billy also reportedly structures work and touring plans around her birthday.

That gives a pretty clear picture of their relationship.

Even with a busy acting and music schedule, he makes an effort to keep important family moments protected.

Bella Thornton and Cal Poly

This is one of the most important updates about Bella in 2026.

She attends California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, better known as Cal Poly.

Billy said in 2024 that she had just started there.

By November 2025, Esquire described her as a 21-year-old sophomore studying biology and English.

Then in April 2026, Cal Poly published an interview with Billy confirming that Bella remained a sophomore.

That makes her education one of the strongest current facts about her life.

Why Did Bella Choose Cal Poly?

Billy has talked publicly about the college decision.

He said Bella strongly wanted to attend college after finishing high school.

The family toured several universities, including UCLA and Cal Poly.

When they visited Cal Poly, the decision apparently felt right to all of them.

Billy recalled essentially thinking:

this is the place.

Cal Poly reported that Bella particularly enjoys using the school’s library, which Billy called one of her favorite places on campus.

Her father has become so enthusiastic about the school that he frequently wears Cal Poly clothing during interviews.

Billy Bob Thornton Became a Proud “Cal Poly Dad”

Some celebrity parents quietly send their children to college.

Billy apparently cannot stop talking about it.

In the April 2026 Cal Poly/KSBY interview, he joked that he tells strangers his daughter attends Cal Poly even when nobody asked him.

The family also has a place near the San Luis Obispo area, allowing Billy to spend time close to Bella while she studies.

His enthusiasm has even shown up in national interviews through Cal Poly hats and shirts.

It gives the public a more ordinary picture of Billy.

Yes, he is an Oscar-winning actor.

But he is also a dad bragging about his daughter’s college.

What Is Bella Thornton Studying?

Esquire reported in November 2025 that Bella was studying biology and English.

That combination is interesting.

Biology is science-focused.

English centers much more on reading, writing and literature.

But both actually fit interests Billy had already discussed when Bella was a child.

Years earlier, he told PEOPLE that Bella loved books.

He also said she wanted to become an entomologist—a scientist who studies insects.

So her later interest in biology does not seem to have appeared from nowhere.

It may reflect a curiosity she had from childhood.

Bella Wanted to Be an Entomologist as a Child

When Bella was around nine, insects were apparently a big part of her world.

Billy said she wanted to become an entomologist.

Butterflies and caterpillars fascinated her.

One Halloween, Bella dressed as a monarch butterfly.

Her father joined in by dressing as a ladybug, complete with wings.

That story is funny.

But it also tells us something about Bella.

Her interests were not limited to Hollywood.

Science and nature had attracted her attention from a young age.

Bella Thornton Loves Books

Reading was another childhood interest.

PEOPLE reported that Bella enjoyed reading to her father when she was young.

Years later, the fact that Cal Poly’s library has become one of her preferred places makes that early interest seem even more relevant.

Her reported studies in English fit the same pattern.

So while many online biographies try to make Bella into an actress simply because of her father, the better-documented story points toward a young woman with strong academic interests.

Bella Thornton’s Siblings

Bella has three older half-siblings through Billy Bob Thornton.

Amanda Brumfield

Amanda is Billy’s eldest child.

She was born in 1979 during his marriage to Melissa Lee Gatlin.

She is more than two decades older than Bella.

William Langston Thornton

William was born on June 27, 1993.

His mother is Billy’s former wife Pietra Dawn Cherniak.

William has largely remained private, though he has occasionally appeared with his father at film premieres.

Harry James Thornton

Harry was born on June 19, 1994.

He has worked in entertainment production, appeared on reality television and pursued real estate.

Because the siblings were born across different relationships and different decades, Bella grew up in a somewhat unusual family structure.

Is Angelina Jolie Bella Thornton’s Mother?

No.

This is an easy mistake because Billy Bob Thornton was famously married to Angelina Jolie.

But their marriage ended before Bella was born.

Bella’s mother is Connie Angland.

Billy and Jolie married in 2000, separated in 2002 and finalized their divorce in 2003.

Billy then began his relationship with Connie.

Bella arrived in 2004.

Angelina Jolie is therefore not Bella Thornton’s mother.

Did Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton Have Children Together?

No.

Although Jolie was involved in adopting Maddox during that period of her life, Maddox was not legally adopted by Billy Bob as his son.

Billy’s four publicly documented children are:

Amanda,

William,

Harry,

and Bella.

Bella is the youngest.

Bella Thornton’s Public Appearances

Bella has occasionally appeared at entertainment events with her parents.

PEOPLE notes that she performed with Billy and his band The Boxmasters in Los Angeles in 2008.

She later appeared at various family events and premieres.

One well-documented appearance came at the 2016 premiere of Finding Dory, where she was photographed with Billy and Connie.

In October 2019, the three attended an event celebrating Rebecca Sugar’s book The Tale of Steven at Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles.

Those appearances exist, but they have never turned into constant celebrity coverage.

Is Bella Thornton an Actress?

This is where readers should be careful.

Several websites claim Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter acted in:

Jayne Mansfield’s Car,

Hodgepodge,

and later independent projects.

IMDb currently has a Bella Thornton profile that even lists Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Angland as family connections.

However, the same IMDb biography describes that Bella as someone who:

grew up in Utah,

graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2023,

studied comedy,

trained at RADA,

and now works professionally in Los Angeles.

That creates a major problem.

There Appears to Be Another Bella Thornton Online

Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter is currently documented by Cal Poly itself as a college sophomore in 2026.

Meanwhile, another Bella Thornton’s professional portfolio says she graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2023 with a degree in Comedy Writing and Performance.

Those timelines do not reasonably describe the same student.

The professional portfolio also says its Bella grew up in Utah and trained at The Second City and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

By contrast, current first-hand reporting places Billy Bob’s Bella at Cal Poly.

This strongly suggests that some online databases and biography websites have merged two people who share the name Bella Thornton.

That identity confusion is important.

Are the Hodgepodge and Jayne Mansfield’s Car Credits Really Billy Bob’s Daughter?

Some older celebrity websites say yes.

IMDb currently connects those credits with a Bella Thornton profile.

But because that same profile also contains biographical information that conflicts with Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter’s verified college timeline, those acting credits should not be treated as conclusively hers without independent confirmation.

There may have been childhood appearances.

But the available databases are messy enough that a careful biography should not build an entire acting career around them.

The strongest current evidence instead describes Bella as a college student, not a working Hollywood actress.

Is Bella Thornton a Writer or Filmmaker?

Again, there is significant online confusion.

A writer-performer named Bella Thornton has a professional portfolio describing scripts, film work, assistant-directing jobs, Columbia College Chicago and RADA.

Several newer biography sites have copied those achievements and attached them to Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter.

But current reporting from Billy himself says his Bella is studying biology and English at Cal Poly.

Until a reliable source directly connects Billy Bob’s daughter with those professional writing credits, it is safer not to merge the identities.

What Does Bella Thornton Do in 2026?

The clearest current answer is:

She is a college student at Cal Poly.

As of April 2026, she was a sophomore.

Esquire says her studies involve biology and English.

There is no need to give her a full-time profession she has not publicly claimed.

She may eventually choose:

science,

writing,

entertainment,

another profession,

or some combination of them.

At 21, she is still building that path.

Does Bella Thornton Have a Boyfriend?

Her current dating life is not reliably public.

There is no strong recent source identifying a boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé or spouse.

That means articles claiming a specific partner should be treated cautiously.

Bella is not a reality star who has chosen to make romantic relationships part of her public identity.

Her father sometimes jokes about being protective.

But that does not give the public a reason to speculate about her private relationships.

Is Bella Thornton Married?

There is no credible evidence that Bella is married.

She is currently known publicly as a 21-year-old college student.

No reputable wedding announcement or marriage record has become part of her public biography.

So the answer is simply:

No public marriage has been established.

Is Bella Thornton on Instagram?

There are multiple accounts online using variations of the name Bella Thornton.

But because the name is shared by several people—and because there is already clear identity confusion around her professional credits—it would be risky to assume that an unverified account belongs to Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter.

She does not have a widely publicized verified social-media presence comparable with her father’s.

How Tall Is Bella Thornton?

Some biography sites give Bella’s height as around 5 feet 2 inches or 5 feet 2½ inches.

That figure appears to come from the IMDb profile that may combine Billy Bob’s daughter with the unrelated writer-performer Bella Thornton.

Because of the identity problem, the height should not be treated as confirmed for Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter.

The safest answer is:

Her verified height is not publicly established.

What Is Bella Thornton’s Net Worth?

There is no reliable estimate.

Bella is currently a student.

No verified business ownership, salary, major acting contract or public financial disclosure exists that would allow anyone to calculate her personal wealth.

Some websites simply borrow her father’s estimated fortune and imply that Bella has a large net worth herself.

That is misleading.

Family wealth and personal net worth are not the same thing.

So the accurate answer is:

Bella Thornton’s personal net worth is unknown.

Why Billy Bob Thornton Is So Protective of Bella

Bella arrived at a very different stage of Billy’s life.

He had already experienced:

multiple marriages,

children,

major Hollywood success,

divorce,

tabloid attention,

and decades in entertainment.

He has spoken repeatedly about how becoming the father of another daughter affected him.

When Landman required him to portray a father fiercely protective of his daughter, Billy said he did not need much imagination.

He already knew the feeling.

That relationship appears to remain especially close as Bella moves through college.

What We Actually Know About Bella Thornton

Once online mix-ups are removed, the verified story is fairly simple.

Bella Thornton was born on September 22, 2004, in Los Angeles.

She is the daughter of Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Angland.

She is Billy’s fourth child and Connie’s only child.

Her older half-siblings are Amanda, William and Harry.

As a child, she loved reading and showed a strong interest in insects and entomology.

Her parents married in 2014, and Billy later said Bella was an important reason they decided to make their longtime partnership official.

In 2024, Bella began attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

By 2025 and 2026 she was described as a sophomore, with Esquire reporting that she studies biology and English.

What we cannot confidently confirm includes:

a professional acting career,

screenwriting credits,

a Columbia College Chicago degree,

RADA training,

her exact height,

her current romantic relationship,

or her personal net worth.

Those details are either private or appear to be affected by confusion with another person named Bella Thornton.

Final Thoughts

Bella Thornton’s biography is much simpler—and more interesting—when uncertain internet claims are removed.

She grew up around Hollywood.

Her father is an Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker.

Her mother worked on major films behind the scenes.

But Bella appears to be creating a life that is not centered on becoming famous.

As a child, she loved books and bugs.

At nine, she talked about becoming an entomologist.

Years later, she entered Cal Poly, and her father says she studies biology and English.

Billy’s pride is hard to miss.

He wears Cal Poly clothing.

He tells strangers where his daughter goes to school.

He keeps her birthday protected on his schedule.

He has her name tattooed on his arm.

And he has openly admitted that his protective relationship with Bella helped him understand his character on Landman.

There is also an important lesson for anyone researching her online.

Not every “Bella Thornton” result belongs to Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter.

Professional pages describing a Columbia College Chicago graduate, RADA-trained writer and working assistant director conflict directly with first-hand reporting that Billy’s daughter is currently a Cal Poly sophomore.

Those identities should not be casually combined.

For readers searching for Bella Thornton, the clearest answer is this: she is Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Angland’s youngest daughter, born September 22, 2004, a Cal Poly student studying biology and English, and a young woman who has remained largely private despite growing up in one of Hollywood’s better-known families.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bella Thornton

Who is Bella Thornton?

Bella Thornton is the youngest daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton and special-effects artist Connie Angland.

When was Bella Thornton born?

The strongest sources give her birthday as September 22, 2004.

How old is Bella Thornton in 2026?

Bella is 21 years old as of September 7, 2026. She turns 22 on September 22.

Where was Bella Thornton born?

PEOPLE reports that she was born in Los Angeles, California.

Who is Bella Thornton’s father?

Her father is actor, filmmaker, writer and musician Billy Bob Thornton.

Who is Bella Thornton’s mother?

Her mother is Connie Angland, a former puppeteer, makeup specialist and special-effects artist.

Are Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Angland still married?

Yes. They married on October 22, 2014, after being together for more than a decade.

Did Bella influence her parents’ decision to marry?

Yes. Billy later said they married largely because Bella wondered why her parents were not already married.

How many siblings does Bella Thornton have?

She has three older half-siblings: Amanda Brumfield, William Langston Thornton and Harry James Thornton.

Is Angelina Jolie Bella Thornton’s mother?

No. Bella’s mother is Connie Angland. Angelina Jolie was previously married to Billy Bob Thornton.

Where does Bella Thornton go to college?

She attends Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.

What year is Bella Thornton in college?

Cal Poly described her as a sophomore in April 2026.

What is Bella Thornton studying?

Esquire reported that she is studying biology and English.

What did Bella want to be when she was younger?

Billy said that as a child she wanted to become an entomologist, meaning a scientist who studies insects.

Does Bella Thornton like reading?

Yes. Billy has talked about her love of books, and Cal Poly says the university library is one of her favorite campus places.

Is Bella Thornton an actress?

Some databases attribute acting credits to a Bella Thornton, but those records appear mixed with another woman of the same name. Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter is currently best documented as a Cal Poly student, so a professional acting career should not be stated as confirmed.

Did Bella Thornton graduate from Columbia College Chicago?

There is a professional writer-performer named Bella Thornton who says she graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2023. That conflicts with confirmed reporting that Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter is a Cal Poly sophomore in 2026, strongly suggesting they are different people.

Did Bella Thornton attend RADA?

The RADA claim comes from the other Bella Thornton’s professional biography and should not currently be attributed to Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter.

Is Bella Thornton in Landman?

No. Bella does not play a known role in Landman. Her relationship with her father helped inspire Billy’s protective approach to his character Tommy Norris.

Does Billy Bob Thornton have a tattoo for Bella?

Yes. Bella’s name is tattooed on his left arm.

Is Bella Thornton married?

No public marriage has been reliably reported.

Does Bella Thornton have a boyfriend?

Her relationship status is private.

What is Bella Thornton’s height?

Her height is not reliably confirmed. Online figures appear connected with a potentially mixed IMDb identity.

What is Bella Thornton’s net worth?

Her personal net worth has not been independently verified.

What is Bella Thornton doing now?

In 2026, Bella is a Cal Poly sophomore, with recent reporting saying she studies biology and English.

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