AceShowbiz -

Billy Bob Thornton wants to reunite with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie in the wake of her divorce and custody battle against Brad Pitt. Rumor has it, the 61-year-old actor is trying to win Angie back after he praised her humanitarian work in a recent interview.

Billy told the Daily Beast that he couldn't understand why so many people criticized Angie when she's done so much work for those in need, adding that he would "defend her to death." He said, "She's done so much! Yet people still slam her left and right and say, 'Here she goes again,' or whatever. I just think it's ridiculous. If somebody's going to try and do something with their lives, tip your hat to them."

Celeb Dirty Laundry claims, "Many critics have pointed out that Billy Bob Thornton has been name-dropping Angelina more often ever since she announced her divorce from Brad Pitt. This is prompting many to wonder whether or not Billy Bob is looking to rekindle his relationship with the Hollywood actress." The site points out that Billy "rarely speaks about his wife [Connie Angland] in his interviews."

Sources say that it wouldn't be surprising if Angie and Billy did reunite. The only thing holding back the "Maleficent" actress is reportedly her divorce battle with Brad.

While a representative for Billy hasn't responded to a request for comment, another source close to the actor claims that the CDL story is completely "false."