Billy Bob Thornton, 70, told Howie Mandel and Jackelyn Shultz on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast that he has a rare AB-negative blood type and multiple allergies, which leave him on a “very restricted” diet. Thornton also shared an at-a-glance fix—mustar
Billy Bob Thornton didn’t beat around the bush when he sat down with Howie Mandel and Jackelyn Shultz on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast. At 70, the actor described a “very restricted” way of eating tied to allergies and a rare blood type—details he said he’s been dealing with for decades.
Thornton said he is “allergic to wheat, dairy,” and added that he has “type AB-negative blood,” describing it as the rarest blood 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,” he said during the conversation.
He then looked back to his childhood, telling the hosts that he learned about his condition in the 1980s.. Despite growing up eating “everything” in Arkansas and Texas—despite “a lot of allergies”—Thornton said he didn’t realize his stomach problems weren’t normal.. “I just assumed everybody felt like s*** after they ate.. I didn’t know.. But anyway. I can’t have dairy. wheat… can’t eat meat. like. you know. pork or beef or any of that stuff. ” he said.
When the topic shifted to what he can eat, Thornton named a couple of items he had before arriving at the podcast’s studio: “a bowl of blueberries” and “a decaf coffee.” He also said he was “going to have some gluten-free chips with some dairy-free cream cheese” later on.
The most memorable moment, though, came from a recent discovery that stuck.. Thornton said he recently figured out a combination of two foods he can have. discussing it at a promotional event for Paramount+’s Landman.. “We were at a Paramount publicity thing the other day.. It’s me and [my costar] Sam Elliott… Normally, in these green rooms, they got a spread.. You can usually find something.. And they had… salami and prosciutto… crackers and… all the starchy things… and I’m like. ‘Well. s*** I can’t have any of this. ‘” he recalled.
Thornton said that once he realized the spread was mostly off-limits, he found two ingredients he could work with.. “In the middle of the cracker thing. they had some grapes… And I got a white grape… And then I saw some spicy Dijon mustard. and I thought. ‘Now. I wonder.’” Today. he called mustard-dipped grapes “one of the best things I ever had in my lifetime. ” adding that it’s “become a thing” for him.
There’s an added friction in the story: Thornton linked his diet limits to digestion. while the concept he’s echoing—blood type eating—has no solid research behind it in the material shared here.. Still, Dr.. Peter J.. D’Adamo. who popularized blood type eating. believes people with AB blood often have lower levels of stomach acid. according to WebMD—an idea that fits the way Thornton connected his blood type to having “less digestive enzymes.”
Billy Bob Thornton Howie Mandel Does Stuff Howie Mandel Jackelyn Shultz podcast diet restrictions AB-negative blood type wheat allergy dairy allergy gluten-free mustard-dipped grapes Landman Paramount+