Celebrity Justice
Billy Bob's Daughter Charged in Death of Baby

Amanda Brumfield, Billy Bob ThorntonWe've learned the oldest daughter of Billy Bob Thornton has been charged with child neglect in the death of a 1-year-old she was babysitting.

Amanda Brumfield told cops the child died in October after falling from her playpen, but a spokesman for the Ocoee Police Department said Amanda Brumfield's story didn't add up.

An autopsy determined the child suffered a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma.

Brumfield told police that after the baby had fallen, she discovered her tongue bleeding, so Brumfield cleaned it with a paper towel. She then says she began playing with the child, feeding her bananas and fruit snacks, and said she was "happy" and playful.

Brumfield then said she laid the child on the couch next to her and fell asleep. She says was awoken sometime later by the phone and decided to take the child back to the playpen. When she lifted her, Brumfield told cops she discovered her body was limp.

According to police, the call for help didn't come until two and a half hours after the original fall.

Brumfield is Thornton's child with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin.

UPDATE -- A rep for Thornton sent TMZ this statement: "Mr. Thornton is estranged from Amanda and has had no contact with her for quite some time, however when informed about this situation he commented that, 'Anytime a baby's life is lost is an unimaginable tragedy and my heart goes out to the baby's family and loved ones.'"



Tags: amanda brumfield, AmandaBrumfield, billy bob thornton, BillyBobThornton, florida, ocoee

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(Page 4 of 12) Previous 15 Comments | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

46. PLEASE KARMA PAYBACK HIT BBT AND HIS NASTY CRIMINAL DAUGHTER BIG TIME.
SOME KIND OF SERIOUSLY DEGRADING SLOW DEATH IS NOT EVEN ENOUGH.

Posted at 6:08PM on May 31st 2009 by SirEatcake

47. Where is my compassion and unconditional love? I have none for drug addicts whatsoever. It is their choice and I do not have to make excuses for any of them. Go and cry on someone elses shoulder and do not blame parents who were either there or not there, but their money was enjoyed nevertheless. That is the BIG problem in the USA....too many excuses and not enough kick-butt. This is an open site and I can voice my opinion as you do yours...I am not the topic of article........AMEN

Posted at 6:10PM on May 31st 2009 by joanna38

48. ALL OF YOU THAT ARE DOGGING BILLY BOB THORTON NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR. HE IS ASTRANGED FROM HER SO WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ANYTHING ON HIM. HE WASNT WATCHING THE LITTLE GIRL.

I AGREE THAT ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN AND SHE MUST OF THOUGHT THE 1 YR OLD WAS OK. BUT ANYONE WHO IS A MOTHER KNOWS YOU NEVER LET A CHILD OF ANY AGE GO TO SLEEP FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE HIT THIER HEAD. IM A MOTHER OF 5 KIDS AND I CAN TELL YOU IF I CALLED 911 EVERYTIME ONE OF THEM GOT HURT OR FELL AND HIT THIER HEAD I WOULD BE CHARGED WITH ABUSING THE 911 SYSTEM. KIDS ARE GOING TO GET HURT FALLING DOWN HITTING THINGS ECT....

I DONT HONESTLY KNOW IF SHE HURT THIS BABY WITH THE INTENTIONS OF DOING SO OR NOT, BUT ACTUALLY A 911 CALL WITH IN AFEW HOURS ISNT BAD IF SHE DID WHAT SHE FELT WAS RIGHT IN MAKING SURE SHE WAS OK. WHERE SHE WAS WRONG IS NOT CALLING THE LITTLE GIRLS MOM AND LETTING HER KNOW SHE FELL AND HIT HER HEAD AND MOUTH WAS BLEEDING, I WOULD OF CALLED IF I WAS BABY SITTING AND AS A MOTHER I WOULD OF LEFT WHERE I WAS AND BEEN THIER TO TEND TO MY DAUGHTER MYSELF AND TOOK HER TO THE ER IF I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO DO SO.

DONT BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY HAVE AN ACCIDENT ON YOUR HANDS AND NOT DO SOMETHING RIGHT.

Posted at 6:12PM on May 31st 2009 by BRIDGET

49. Wow! So many hateful comments about BBT. I'm not a fan, but honestly ... he had nothing to do with this. And to poster #21: people like you are the reason the judicial system has become a paycheck for so many! You say "somebody has to pay for this" Um, no -- that's not true. If this was just an unfortunate, tragic accident, no one must "pay" for it. As awful as it is, babies ... like children and adults ... die in accidents every day.

Posted at 6:16PM on May 31st 2009 by RiverRat22

50.
CanadiansH8Billy-Bob...





Where does it say, She was making a living by baby sitting??
Where does it say, She needed help with $$$$$??

Posted at 6:17PM on May 31st 2009 by *

51. First of all it's a known fact he is a substance abuser.

...and drug addiction is A DISEASE not a choice

Posted at 6:20PM on May 31st 2009 by BBB

52. 47. First of all it's a known fact he is a substance abuser.

...and drug addiction is A DISEASE not a choice

Posted at 6:20PM on May 31st 2009 by BBB

____________________________________________

BBB you are an idiot!

Posted at 6:22PM on May 31st 2009 by wanda

53. Billy Bob was always soooo quick to comment about the life of other people...maybe he should focus instead on his own hillbilly lifestyle.

Posted at 6:25PM on May 31st 2009 by LoveCarrie

54. Please take note SHAMEONBILLYBOB============As far as the "dumping the kid" subject. Be thankful if you don't have a child that MUST be "dumped". My brother's adult son would have lived and leached off him for the rest of his life if he hadn't finally said: enough! It's a terrible reality that most of us haven't had to face. (my bro is no movie star ... oops! or musician ... but he's well off. That's not the point, adult children eventually have to take responsibility for themselves"

Posted at 6:28PM on May 31st 2009 by RiverRat22

55. #30, #36. Yes.

How telling of Billy Bob to issue a statement utterly repudiating his daughter, No one would imagine he would have any responsibility for this tragedy; but now one wonders if his poor parenting skills somehow set a chain of events in motion...he just seems like such an awful douchbag.

Posted at 6:46PM on May 31st 2009 by Gerald

56. As a former probation officer, I know that sometimes there are people who actually hurt babies, however, as a mom of 2, and also being accident prone myself, I do know that accidents happen and you may not really think anything of it. Look at Natasha Richardson, it was over an hour later, and then she started getting a headache? My daughter never tried to get out of her playpen, my son however, was little Houdini, everytime I turned around he was not just climing in and out slowly he would go head first fast. I don't know how many times he fell on his head. first couple of times I would rush him to the dr's or the er, after about the 3rd trip, you kind of start playing it by ear, the drs say if he does this or watch for this, if not give him tylenol or moltrin and just keep an eye on him. they're skulls or so soft at that age, its not hard for them to hit it just the right way and have this happen. However, if she really did hurt the child let her fry.

Posted at 6:49PM on May 31st 2009 by bna's mom

57. Billy Bob is trying so hard to distance himself from his daughter and her problems, almost as hard as he tried to avoid being a father to her in the first place. Of couse he's such a crazy SOB, who knows if she would have been better or worse. With his DNA, she didn't have a chance.

Posted at 6:55PM on May 31st 2009 by chantilly babs

58. When I was 4s & playing @ a neighbor child' house, her Mom was friends w?my Mom
I fell off the bed from a standing position & landed head first on taraza,

The Mom did nothing & did NOt bother to tell my Mom,

I was too tiny to exprese the details Or understand the seriuosness. there is no telling how much suffering I went through, As other posters have said A child needs to be checked out. My Mom would not know what to look for like hedacahes memory loss ,crying,nausea etc..
Remember Natasha RichardsonRIP

Posted at 7:00PM on May 31st 2009 by latasha

59. to Riverratt: Not ALL kids live and leach off of their parents...even kids who have drug addictions and/or other addictions and/or rich parents. As a matter of FACT, many have been able to overcome these addictions. Love and support contributes to living a life crime free and with love. Good for your rich brother: however, Billy Bob is, in fact, an addict himself. He lucked out by having a talent of writing - which got him out of the slums. Take a deep breath and realize Billy Bob gave up this daughter when she was 11, YES, 11. If she did something so horrible as to kill a child then she deserves to be punished for the horrific crime. It still doesn't take away the fact that Billy Bob IS her father and will always be her father...even if he doesn't have contact with her.


Posted at 6:58PM on May 31st 2009 by shameonbillybob

60. I wasn't there but how do you know the parents wasn't abusing the child and she just happen to babysit and while in her care the child expired. Is there a way to tell if the fall didn't cause the trauma or how long the child had the blow to the head. Have a lot of people commenting wanting to convict really fast on here with very little first hand knowledge. After all aren't all white people white thrash or have it somewhere in their bloodline

Posted at 6:52PM on Jun 1st 2009 by guest

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