Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied Finalize Divorce After Quietly Separating Following Husband’s Alleged Affair
March 8 2024, Published 9:58 a.m. ET
Natalie Portman has finalized her divorce from ex-husband Benjamin Millepied after quietly separating last year amid rumors of his affair with a much younger woman, RadarOnline.com has learned.
As OK! noted, Portman, 42, filed for divorce from Millepied, 46, in France, where the estranged couple lives with their son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 7. The divorce was finalized last month, officially ending their marriage of 11 years.
"It was initially really tough for her, but her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the worst of it," a friend of the couple told PEOPLE.
"Natalie is coming out of a really tough and painful year but she's come out the other side of it stronger and is finding joy in her family, friends and work," they continued.
"Her biggest priority has been ensuring a smooth transition for her children," the source added. "She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important."
"Natalie hoped her marriage would be forever, but she is at peace with where they are and now focused on their new normal as a family."
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The actress and French choreographer first met in 2010 on the set of Black Swan, for which Portman won the best actress Oscar in 2010. They tied the knot in California in August 2012.
"I met my husband on it, so I think I was in, like, dreamland," Portman said about her experience filming Black Swan during a SiriusXM Town Hall interview 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."
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The marriage was rocked in June 2023 by rumors that Millepied had a short-lived affair with 25-year-old climate activist Camille Étienne. Although Portman reportedly attempted to save the marriage, they had been both spotted without their wedding bands in recent months.
In the wake of the Millepied's alleged cheating, an insider revealed that Portman "doesn't want to throw it all away, but she's also desperately unhappy and having serious trust issues. It's been very difficult to hold on to her marriage — and painful to let it go. She's stuck in the middle."
Millepied recently choreographed Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two, while Portman has received critical acclaim for her starring role opposite Julianne Moore and Charles Melton in the Todd Haynes drama May December.