- Billy Bob Thornton shared that he cannot eat foods containing wheat or dairy and explained that his rare AB negative blood type has played a major role in his digestive issues.
- Billy Bob Thornton claims he spent years believing it was normal to feel sick after eating because he had lived with allergies for so long.
- Billy Bob Thornton shared that before coming to record the podcast, he had only eaten a bowl of blueberries and drank decaf coffe
Billy Bob Thornton is opening up about the serious health struggles he has quietly dealt with for years. During a recent podcast appearance, the 70-year-old star revealed that he follows a “very restricted” diet because of allergies, stomach problems and a very rare blood type that affects less than one percent of people.
The actor shared that he cannot eat foods containing wheat or dairy and explained that his rare AB negative blood type has played a major role in his digestive issues.
According to him, the condition means his body has fewer digestive enzymes, which makes it harder to process certain foods. He also looked back on his childhood and said he spent years believing it was normal to feel sick after eating because he had lived with allergies for so long. The actor admitted he did not realise something was wrong at the time and simply assumed everyone experienced the same discomfort.
While appearing on Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Billy Bob Thornton explained, “My diet's very restricted and I'm allergic to wheat, dairy. I have type AB negative blood which is the rarest type in the world. It's like less than 1% of the population of the world has it. It means you have less digestive enzymes. I just grew up with a lot of allergies. When I was a kid, you know, I grew up in Arkansas and East Texas and I ate everything. I just assumed everybody felt like that after they ate. I didn't know. Anyway, I can't have dairy, wheat, shellfish, can't eat meat like pork or beef or any of that stuff.”
During the conversation, Howie Mandel joked that the actor seems to be avoiding almost every major food group because of his restrictions. He then asked what he is actually able to eat on a daily basis.
Billy Bob shared that before coming to record the podcast, he had only eaten a bowl of blueberries and drank decaf coffee. He later explained that once he gets home, he'll be able to enjoy some of his favourite snacks, gluten free chips and dairy free cream cheese, which he said he was excited to eat later.
During the interview, Billy Bob Thornton also shared an unusual moment before an event. While waiting in the green room, he noticed that most of the food available did not suit his diet, like meats, cheese and crackers.
He then found some grapes that were safe for him. He later said he felt a bit bored with just grapes, so he tried something different. He dipped a grape into Dijon mustard and was surprised by how much he liked it. He described it as one of the best things he had ever tasted.