Natalie Portman and Her Husband Didn't Split Up Just Because He Had an Affair
Benjamin Millepied reportedly was unfaithful, but a source says there were other issues in the marriage.
Not many people can boast that they met their spouse working on the movie that also won them an Oscar, but that was the beginning of the love story for Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied. She won the Academy Award for her performance in 2010's Black Swan, for which he was the choreographer. After falling for each other on set, Portman and Millepied welcomed their first child, Aleph, in 2011, got married in 2012, and welcomed their second child, Amalia, in 2017.
The couple remained fairly under-the-radar by Hollywood standards, but in 2023, they began making headlines after Millepied was rumored to have had an affair. Since then, it has been reported that the couple split up, but one source claims that the alleged affair wasn't the only reason they decided to go their separate ways. Read on to find out more.
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Affair rumors surfaced in June.
In June 2023, it was reported that Millepied had been unfaithful to Portman. A source told People of his alleged affair, "It was short-lived and it is over." A source also said that the couple were still together despite the affair. "He knows he made an enormous mistake and he is doing all he can to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together," the source said. "Natalie is incredibly private and has no intention of playing this out in the media. Her biggest priority is protecting her children and their privacy."
After this, the couple were spotted out in public together a few times—including with their son at the Women's World Cup in Sydney—though it was reported that they were not wearing their wedding rings.
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The couple reportedly separated.
In August, Us Weekly reported that Portman and Millepied had separated. "After news of his affair came out, they've been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs," a source said.
Prior to the separation report, a source had told the publication, "Natalie believes Benjamin's affair was a brief and stupid liaison that means nothing to him" and that she was "willing to see if she's capable of rebuilding her trust." A second source had said, "Right now, they are talking and working on it together for the sake of their children."
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A source says there were existing problems in the marriage.
Not long after reporting that the couple had separated, Us Weekly published another story in which a source said that their split didn't only have to do with Millepied's reported affair.
"She has no doubt he regrets what he did," the source said, but went on to explain that "things just haven't been the same" following the affair news. "It was a really humiliating scenario for Natalie," they told Us Weekly. They also claimed that the couple had been having other issues in their relationship. "The spark has been missing for a really long time," the insider said.
Another source said of the reported affair, "The damage was done. She couldn't forgive him and is taking a break for now."
Best Life has reached out to representatives for Portman and Millepied for comment.
The pair have given rare comments about their relationship.
Millepied and Portman keep their relationship pretty private, but there have been times that they opened up about each other either on social media or in interviews. For instance, in August 2022, Portman posted on Instagram about their 10-year wedding anniversary. Alongside of photo of them together, she wrote, "Ten years today @benjaminmillepied, and it keeps getting better…"
Millepied has talked about Portman in interviews, including how they are supportive of each others' work. In 2018, the Carmen director talked to Us Weekly about Portman's involvement in the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. "Her work has been an inspiration," he said. "You know, she's been so driven you know in this last year to make the world a better place. I think it's inspiring."
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