Natalie Portman has stayed silent about the state of her marriage to Benjamin Millepied after rumors surfaced about his alleged affair with 25-year-old climate activist, Camille Étienne, in June 2023. While no one really knows what’s going on behind closed doors, the choreographer’s absence from the Golden Globes on Sunday and the Governors Awards on Tuesday might hint at where the couple stands right now.
Outside of her solo appearance on the red carpet, Portman hasn’t worn her wedding ring in months, and she hasn’t been shy about letting her left hand get photographed — there’s no jewelry there. There was also a curious note in the 42-year-old star’s interview with the Wall Street Journal where it was noted that Portman “lives in Paris with her two children” without any mention of Millepied.
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The original message from close sources, when the affair was reportedly discovered, was that Portman and her spouse were “trying to work things out,” per Page Six. “Ben is doing everything he can to get Natalie to forgive him. He loves her and their family,” the insider shared while noting that the May December actress was focusing on their two children, Aleph and Amelia. By August, their tune seemed to have changed with another source saying they were on “the outs.”
The talented duo met on the set of 2010’s Black Swan, but it is alleged that Portman and Millepied also had a messy start. At the time, the ballet dancer was living with American Ballet Theatre dancer Isabella Boylston, and their subsequent breakup was described to The Guardian by one dancer, who knew Millepied, as “pretty brutally and unchivalrously.” It doesn’t sound like he had many fans in the ballet world at the time.
In 2018, Portman shared that the beginning of their relationship was like a “dreamland” for them. “He was teaching me to dance. You know, one of those romantic [stories] … It was definitely exciting and fun,” she said in a SiriusXM Town Hall interview, via Us Weekly, in 2018. “He was teaching me to dance. You know, one of those romantic [stories] … It was definitely exciting and fun. It was beautiful. I don’t know about instant. It was like I really got to know him and that was when it seemed like, ‘Oh this is the person.’” Just six years later, Portman might be singing a different tune about her husband.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrity couples who have stayed together after cheating scandals.
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