The Relationship

Their marriage, however, faced difficulties from early on. Thornton struggled to balance his ambitions with family life, and Gatlin took on much of the responsibility of raising their daughter. Financial hardships and the pressure of making ends meet weighed heavily on their relationship.

While Thornton continued to pursue his dreams in entertainment, the couple began to experience strain. Thornton frequently went away to pursue his acting and music careers. By 1980, the marriage had deteriorated beyond repair, leading to their divorce. Thornton later cited “incompatibility and infidelity” as reasons for the split, though the details remained relatively private.