Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter charged in death of baby
By Alexandra Heilbron on June 2, 2009 | 31 Comments
Billy Bob Thornton‘s 29-year-old daughter, Amanda Brumfield, was arrested Friday on homicide charges. She was babysitting a one-year-old girl last October and told police the child fell from a playpen, but police believe her story is inconsistent with the injuries found. Brumfield claimed the infant seemed normal after the fall and even ate snacks. Brumfield then fell asleep on a sofa. When she woke up two hours later, the girl was unconscious. She first called her husband, then waited until he arrived home before calling 911. An autopsy discovered the girl had a fractured skull. The medical examiner has ruled the death a homicide. Thornton’s rep released a statement on the actor’s behalf saying that he has “had no contact with his daughter for quite some time.”
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what a parent. i bet he wasn’t there for her either as a child. rather save his own “rep” than support/comfort/help his daughter. way to go “dad”. what a bum. no wonder his daughter is in this kind of trouble, look at the father she had.
Although I don’t think he was the #1 “dad” (K-Fed is, haha), she’s 29….old enough to be responsible for her own actions.
Exactly, Nancy. And who would wait for someone else to come home before calling 911? Sure it wasn’t one of the Olsen girls? Also, I’m wondering, who would hire the daughter of Billy Bob Thornton to care for their baby? I’d be very unlikely to.
why do people insist on blaming partents for (adult) kid’s mistakes??
I’m willing to bet not all kids with loser dads turn out just like dad….
Interesting . . . Jo and Nancy agree! And I do too.
But two more points:
Whatever: why would you blame Billy Bob for being a bad parent, but you have no comment about her mother?
Tributegirl: why would you automatically make a judgement about the abilities of the daughter solely on who her father is?
because parents have a monumental influence on how kids turn out. thats why.
Because quite often, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, pete. I’m not blaming him for what she did, but I do believe he is partly to blame for how she turned out.
wow you guys are narrow minded. how do you know how he raised his kid. did you live with him? dont make assumptions about how well or crappy people raise their children unless you live in the household with them and see on a daily basis how they do it. shes 29 years old. quite capable of making decisions for herself. and it is her responsibility to own up to her actions. nobody knows all the details. so dont claim to. just cause my dad was absentee didnt mean i turned out to be a lousy person. we all make choices…
i know how he raised his kid. read the above article.
BBT is just not an overly decent person, however, she was an adult, and it is scary to think a 29 year old woman was this irresponsible. Even if you don’t have children, a lot of women still have the instincts to take basic care of a child. If she’s guilty, throw the book at her. As for him, he doesn’t own up to much. Go smoke another joint BBT and keep your head in the clouds, it’s what you do best.
BillyBob is an irresponsible jerk and his kid sounds like an irresponsible monster. Is there a connection? Probably!
Aurorian on June 2, 2009 5:17 PM
You are right, many people do grow up with an absentee father and are decent human beings. I think the shocker to everyone here is how quickly and he denounced her. As a parent, I��m there for my kids, regardless of what they do or how horrendous their actions were. It��s just second nature, as it is with most parents. BBT may not be to blame for what she does, but his lack of involvement has no doubt contributed to who she is.
anon, not trying to start anything but if there was proof that your child murdered someone elses, would you still stand by them? i think this is a sick and disturbing article. how can anyone hurt a child? if the baby had of hit her head hard enough to fracture her skull, im sure that she would have quite the mark, scream her head off for quite some time, and she would more than likely not be ok. when a child gets THAT injured, you dont wait for hours and then call someone else and THEN call 911. you take them to the hospital or the doctor right away (ESPECIALLY for a HEAD INJURY !!!) or you call telehealth, OR you call 911 ! you dont wait around to see if she lives, for heavens sake she was ONE! i doubt falling from a playpen or crib could cause such injuries, but even if it COULD this is still her fault for not getting her checked. even if she DIDNT murder this baby, she should still be charged with negligence that caused death. i feel sorry for the family. RIP.
mandee, firstly I don’t think you should preface with “not trying to start anything” – its your opinion and that’s what this site is ALL ABOUT!!!
If it ever comes down to only “I agree with what you said”, “Yes, everyone is right”, “Ditto”, on every single post….why visit?
anon, BB simply said he hasn’t had contact with her in quite some time…period. Denounce? That was his only comment. Much as I don’t care for this guy, that was a very limited comment and I think given the circumstances many parents in same situation would have had limited comments….
mandee on June 3, 2009 2:57 AM
I’m not defending what she did, I am criticizing her father’s lack of “devotion” (for lack of a better word) to his daughter. And yes to answer your question, if one of my kids killed someone, I would be there to support them emotionally and in whatever way I could. Which does not mean I would condone �murder��
well, i was just thinking about the caylee anthony case when i read your comment. i wouldnt ever forgive or support my child if she ever killed her own baby or someone elses. its just plain sick and wrong. maybe i would change my mind if i had kids of my own? joanne, i only said not to start anything because i really was just curious about anons comments, i know without the tone stated in each comment its very hard to tell if im being rude or simply being curious 🙂
Jo-Anne on June 3, 2009 8:03 AM
True enough, that was all he said and I stand corrected. I obviously interpreted, through my own warped views, his comments to mean something more; some underlying, deep, perverse meaning……Can only blame my own baggage for this one. lol
I see what you are saying Mandee, but when you have kids you cannot just leave the unconditional love you have for them. It doesn\’t mean you condone it, but it would be a terrible position to be in. I can\’t imagine turning against my daugher for anything and I hope I am never in the position that I would ever have to question that. A parent\’s love for their child is not contollable. It\’s something I honestly don\’t think you can understand until you hold your baby in your arms for the first time.
Ok, enough of that, not normally that deep.
Carol, I totally get what your saying and its very well put. Unconditional means those babies are yours forever. You might hate what they do but you do not stop loving them no matter what. Thats why I find BillyBobs apparent lack of connection to his daughter so unnatural (along with everything else about BB..LOL!)
P.S. why are apostrophes getting those weird extra slash marks?
anon, understood…
I find quite often in “good parent/bad parent” situations we only get very limited info and have no choice but to base an opinion on that…we have been conditioned to expect the mom is always the better choice but it is not always so.
one very small example – I personally knew a girl once who did everything in her power to keep dad from his kids, long story short, I had never met dad but when I did and also discovered other facts she had chosen not to disclose – dad was far from the man she had painted him to be and was awarded full access to his kids. I choose to cut ties with this woman, her deception and vendetta against her partner ruined not only our relationship, but on a much sadder note, caused her kids to witness things children should never see…
just saying, all is always not what it seems…
And in some cases, all is EXACTLY what it seems….and then some, especially when the unfit parent has a very thick file full of criminal convictions including drugs and assault and threatening of his wife AND children. What I’m saying is that in “some cases”, no words need to be spoken…just give him a shovel. Yes, there have been some out there who have been treated unfairly but like everything else, that has been changing over the years. There are supervised access centres now and I believe the courts are doing their best to protect the rights of the children rather than those of either parent.
Nancy & Jo-Ann, I agree with you both. I have worked with the general public for 19 years, and I see what break-ups do to kids, the way parents can try to pull them apart. And it is a shame. I am glad that there are cases now that the courts agree that just because a woman is the mother, she is not necessarily a good parent as we are seeing more women walk out of their families, or just not be there, but then there are those, we just know. Actions are there and you don’t need anyone to tell you the story. I think many of us have seen the movie “the burning bed” and it is a very real example of how some people display their parenting abilities for the world to see.
Jo-Anne on June 4, 2009 8:17 AM
Though most of us hate to admit or step up to the plate with our own shortcomings, there are ALWAYS two sides to every story. As I said, for the most part, women have a tendency to be more nurturing, which is what (at least very young kids) need. I also see that the courts tend to be moving away from the sole parent scenario, opting more for �parenting plans�� which will no doubt be more beneficial to all involved, under most cases. Now, if they would only require a license and a Parenting Plan before one can start a family ….
For all others, this was only a comment, not an invitation to debate a police state! lol
Actually Anon/Gina, there are 3 sides to every story…one persons side, the others side and then the truth.
“For all others, this was only a comment, not an invitation to debate a police state! lol”
Who said anything about the doughnut lifters? LMFAO!!!
I stand corrected Nancy. The two sides are usually somewhat distorted from the charged emotions so the 3rd has it. Unless, one side has managed to infect or influence the 3rd with his/her emotions��.oh my, then we really do have a mess – Somewhat like the family court system. hahaha
Actually Anon, I tend to disagree with your last post…
I have seen a few women who have been horrendous examples as a parent and many dads who have been by far the more “nurturing” stable parent.
I think the fact many people still tend to generalize in these situations and cast the “mom vote”…when you really need to look at each and every case individually and remain unbiased, not assume ’cause they’re female parents they’re deemed more appropriate to raise the kiddies…
Family court is busting at the seams (likewise many other courtrooms) with people abusing the system, parents still looking to “stick it to the other” and still not coming clean with the entire “truth”…and you wonder why these kids are so mixed up…they’re forced to constantly endure their parents issues with each other and being pitted against the two sides…
it’s like a contest with them as the “prize”…heartbreaking and so wrong…always…
Jo-Anne on June 5, 2009 5:49 PM
parents still looking to �stick it to the other�� and still not coming clean with the entire �truth����
Oh I agree with this completely that the kids being the only ones to lose in the end. I believe each sex brings their own style of parenting to the family and kids benefit from both. As for the mom vote, this was a common outlook in the past. Joint parenting plans, mediation among other things tend to be the norm now. You still have the nut cases that will fight to the end at any cost, but these are pretty much equal as far as the sexes go. One fights for no access, the other for no support and both claim the other is unfit. In these cases, both are shltty parents and judges are stuck with trying to determine which of the two losers would be best.
so true, anon, I just get really sick and tired of seeings parents still “battling to the bitter end” once they’ve gone their separate ways, berating their spouse in front of the kids and not caring of the effect this is having on them, only satisfying their own bitterness…
regardless of how justified they feel about slamming their ex, it’s not fair to subject kids to their anger at themselves for choosing so poorly….
i decided a long time ago when i have kids if me and the father split up i still want them to see him. i think its terrible for kids to only know one of their parents (depending on the situation of course). i clearly wouldnt hand them out if he was abusive or mean spirited towards them, but if he is good with the kids he can have them a few days every week if he wants. its not fair to ANYONE involved to make it a bitter custody battle just because you broke up and cant stand each other. its not about YOU once you break up, its only about the children and their welfare. parents that demean their ex in front of his or her children are immature and care about no one but themselves. i understand in situations like nancys, and others like her, for there to only be one parent but when both are good parents it doesnt matter why you are divorced.
Jo-Anne on June 5, 2009 8:46 PM
I agree, as much I “dislike” my ex, I picked him! And I never, (and stress never) put him down in front of or to the kids. Felt he was the shlttiest parent around, but opinions / words were kept for the girls during the night out bashing sessions lol. Unfortunately, other interests and pursuits kept him from fully committing to the kids and the connection has faded. Emotionally tough times brought him back into their lives periodically, but the consistency was never there and they have lost all respect and desire to re-connect �� he tried again a couple of years ago. Best for all to put differences and own feelings aside and realize that the kids not only end up losing a parent, but like mine who have lost an entire extended family. Now, don��t get me started on the support issue!!! Lol
Mandee
Well said and I hope you never have to go through divorce. Even those that want out of the marriage, find it a very difficult decision to make and follow through with. I know a couple of people that couldn��t accept the fact that their spouses parent differently than themselves – their way was the only way. Needless to say, relationships broke down very quickly and the court battles intensified and became like Jo says, very dirty.
anon, i forgot about the men/women that dont WANT to be a part of their kids lives. i wouldnt force them to be a parent if they chose otherwise. sorry to hear your kids had to go through that with their dad, its very hard on the self esteem and it causes a lot of emotional problems (thinking their dad doesnt love them etc) … i assume. i wanted to throw that in there, my parents got back together when i was 4 and have been together ever since. so i dont really know what its like, but i can imagine. i dont understand how someone can be a parent and not want it? or hurt their kids (physically/emotionally). one of my family members went through a lot of crazy stuff with her mom when her parents broke up, i saw what it did to her and i was the voice of reason that made her see that her mom was emotionally/verbally abusing her and she was fighting to be with the wrong parent. shes still young, in her late teens, and its been years since we had our talk and she seems to be getting a lot better. i couldnt imagine someone doing that to a child, does it make them feel better about themselves or what?