Hollywood wildman denies 'baby barred' reports

Hollywood wildman Billy Bob Thornton today rubbished reports that he and wife Angelina Jolie have been barred from taking their newly-adopted Cambodian son into the United States.

Thornton and Jolie, who played cyber babe Lara Croft in the film Tomb Raider, adopted eight-month old Maddox last November.

It was reported that stringent US immigration laws meant the couple would never be allowed to take the child to live in America.

But Thornton, who is touring England with his hillbilly rock group, today dismissed the reports and said the immigration process was simply bogged down in red tape.

Speaking after a gig at Liverpool’s Cavern nightclub, he said: ‘‘That is just so much nonsense.

‘‘It’s like they look at us and see we have adopted a baby and see we are happy and they think, ‘How can we spoil that?’

‘‘So they make up stuff about us not being able to bring him into the US. The truth is we are in line with about 200 or so other families all in the same position.

‘‘We are all waiting to have the paperwork processed but it’s all under way and it should be done within weeks or maybe even days.’’

Thornton described Maddox, who was orphaned as an infant, as ‘‘hilarious’’.

He said: ‘‘He is just a hilarious kid. You can see it in him that he has this great sense of humour. He is fantastic.’’

He added that Jolie, who became involved in the plight of Cambodian orphans when she visited the country on a UN fact-finding tour, was currently filming in Africa.

He said: ‘‘I’m doing this tour and she is filming in Namibia but in a month or so we will be able to hook up as a family again. I can’t wait.’’

Arkansas-born Thornton, who grew up listening to the Beatles and other Merseybeat music, said he had fulfilled a ‘‘lifetime ambition’’ by playing at the Cavern.

He delayed his performance at the club by two hours in order to watch Liverpool FC’s Champions League quarter final with Gerry and the Pacemakers frontman Gerry Marsden.