Natalie Portman has opened up about her divorce from Benjamin Millepied, saying she was “heartbroken” and “felt like a failure”.
The French choreographer and Oscar-winning actress, who met on the “Black Swan” set in 2010 and have two children, finalized their divorce last month. France.
Portman, 42, told Vogue that she had to deal with the public scrutiny and the rumours of Millepied’s affair with a young climate activist, which she said were “very hurtful and unfair”.
During the difficult time, she said she tried to focus on her work and her kids, Aleph, 12, and Amalia, 7. She also said that she and Millepied, 46, are still on good terms and co-parent their children.
“We have a lot of respect and love for each other. We want the best for our kids and each other. We’re still friends, and we support each other’s projects,” she said.
Portman, nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in “May December”, a comedy-drama about a Hollywood actress who falls in love with a younger man, said that she is not ready to date again.
“I’m not looking for anything right now. I’m just focusing on myself and my career. I’m happy with who I am and where I am in life,” she said.
Portman also said she hopes to inspire other women going through a divorce or a breakup.
“I want them to know they are not alone, strong, beautiful, and worthy of love. And that they can overcome anything with grace and dignity,” she said.
The divorce shocked many fans, who had seen Portman and Millepied as a perfect Hollywood couple.
The pair met on the “Black Swan” set, where Millepied was the choreographer and had a small role as Portman’s dance partner. Portman won an Oscar for her performance as a troubled ballerina in the film.
They announced their engagement and pregnancy in December 2010 and welcomed their son Aleph in June 2011. They married in a Jewish ceremony at a private home near Big Sur, California, in August 2012. Their daughter Amalia was born in February 2017.
They moved to Paris in 2014 when Millepied became the dance director at the Paris Opera Ballet. He resigned from the position in 2016, citing personal reasons. They remained in France, where Portman also holds citizenship.
The split was reportedly triggered by Millepied’s affair with a 25-year-old climate activist, whom he met at a conference in 2020.
According to French outlet Voici, Millepied had a secret relationship with the woman, who was not named, for several months. The magazine claimed that Portman found out about the affair in May 2020 and confronted Millepied, who admitted his infidelity.
The magazine also published photos of Millepied and the woman together in Paris, allegedly taken in April 2020. The images showed them holding hands, hugging, and kissing.
A source told People that Millepied’s romance was “short-lived” and was now “over”. The source also said that Millepied was “doing all he could” to get “Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together”.
However, Portman decided to file for divorce in July 2020, and the process was finalized in February 2021. The former couple reportedly agreed to share custody of their children and divide their assets amicably.
Portman has been busy with her film projects, while Millepied has been focusing on his directorial debut.
Portman has had a prolific year, starring in several films and producing a limited series for Apple TV+. She is currently filming “Thor: Love and Thunder” in Australia, where she will reprise her role as Jane Foster and become the female Thor.
Sunglasses.
She is also set to star in “Fountain of Youth”, a heist film directed by Guy Ritchie, and “The Days of Abandonment”, a drama based on the novel by Elena Ferrante. She will also produce and star in “Lady in the Lake”, a series adaptation of the book by Laura Lippman, alongside Lupita Nyong’o.
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Millepied, meanwhile, made his directorial debut with “Carmen”, a modern adaptation of the opera by Georges Bizet. The film stars Paul Mescal and Melissa Barrera, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020 and was released in theatres in 2021.
Millepied has also been working on his dance projects, including creating a ballet for the Paris Opera Ballet and launching a new dance company, L.A. Dance Project 2, in Los Angeles.
