- Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied first met on the set of the 2010 film "Black Swan."
- In August 2023, Portman was seen without her wedding ring amid reports Millepied had an affair.
- Here's a complete timeline of their relationship.
Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily.
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
Natalie Portman's 11-year marriage to French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied may be on the rocks, according to reports.
Amid rumors that Millepied cheated, the Oscar-winning actress was spotted without her wedding ring at an event in Sydney, Australia on Friday, August 4 — which happened to be the couple's 11-year wedding anniversary.
A representative for Portman declined Insider's request for comment. Millepied's representatives didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Here's a complete timeline of Portman and Millepied's relationship, from their fateful meeting on the set of "Black Swan" to the alleged affair that has reportedly sent waves through their relationship.
2009: Portman and Millepied met on the set of 'Black Swan'
Filming the 2010 ballet thriller "Black Swan" changed Portman's life in monumental ways. Not only did she win her first and only Oscar for her role as dancer Nina Sayers, but she also met her future husband while working on the Darren Aronofsky movie, which filmed from late 2009 to 2010.
Millepied was a principal dancer in the New York City Ballet from 2002 to 2011 and choreographed the film. He also played the role of David/The Prince.
In a 2018 interview with Hoda Kotb for Sirius XM, Portman said she was in "dreamland" while filming the physically demanding drama because she was getting to know Millepied at the same time. She called the early stages of their relationship "romantic" because they were catching feelings for each other while he was teaching her how to dance.
Portman denied any instant feelings for Millepied when pressed by Kotb, but called their connection "beautiful."
According to The Guardian and other unconfirmed reports, Millepied was living with his former partner, ballet dancer Isabella Boylston, in 2009 and eventually left her for Portman.
December 2010: The couple announced that they were engaged and Portman was pregnant with their first child
Portman and Millepied kept a low profile during the early days of their relationship, but were reportedly spotted out together on several occasions in 2010. Portman's representatives confirmed to People that she and Millepied were engaged and expecting a child together in December 2010.
"I have always kept my private life private but I will say that I am indescribably happy and feel very grateful to have this experience," Portman told Entertainment Weekly in a statement at the time.
The pregnant star thanked "my beautiful love Benjamin Millepied who choreographed the film and has now given me my most important role of my life" while accepting her best leading actress Oscar for "Black Swan" in February 2011.
That year's Academy Awards also marked Portman and Millepied's red-carpet debut as a couple.
June 14, 2011: Portman and Millepied's son Aleph was born
The couple welcomed their first child, a son, on June 14, 2011, People confirmed — his name was later revealed to be Aleph.
In 2012, Portman reflected on how motherhood had helped her grow as a person in an interview with Elle Canada. "I've got more patience, definitely," she said. "Just by looking at everyone and realizing that someone's their mother."
August 4, 2012: Millepied and Portman got married
A couple of months after Aleph's first birthday, Millepied and Portman married.
Their wedding ceremony took place Saturday, August 4, 2012, at a private residence in Big Sur, California. According to The Cut and other sources, the event took place at night and followed the customs of the Jewish faith. Macaulay Culkin and Ivanka Trump were two of approximately 60 guests, per The Cut.
Before the big day, a friend of the couple told the London Evening Standard that it would be a "relaxed affair."
"They're not sending out invites. Natalie may not even buy a new dress," the unidentified source said at the time.
Late 2014: Portman and Millepied moved their family to Paris
Millepied took a job at the Paris Opera Ballet that started in October 2014, The Guardian reported. Portman and Aleph moved to France with him for about two years until he left the position and they all moved back to Los Angeles.
"Everyone smiles a lot here. It's so nice," she said of Los Angeles on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2016. "They're very cool in France."
Portman told Kimmel she'd gotten used to the French demeanor and was happily surprised when she got back to the US and people were friendly and would smile at her son.
"I'd be like,'what a good person,'" she laughed.
September 2016: Portman revealed her second pregnancy
Portman debuted her baby bump at the Venice Film Festival premiere of her film "Planetarium" in September 2016.
She and Millepied welcomed their daughter Amalia on February 22, 2017. "Mother and baby are happy and healthy," a rep told People in a statement announcing the baby girl's birth.
February 2018: The couple worked together on the film 'Vox Lux'
Portman played a pop star who found fame due to a set of unexpected, tragic circumstances in the 2018 film "Vox Lux," and Millepied choreographed the movie's dance routines.
Millepied had previously told Vanity Fair in 2016 that the couple kept their work and relationship separate deliberately.
"Ultimately I think as a couple, you automatically learn from one another, and hopefully feed each other in ways that are positive. But I think, work…we keep very separate. I think that's important," he said at the time.
But while promoting "Vox Lux" in 2018, Portman told Extra that working with Millepied again was "so fun."
September 2020: The family moved to Australia so Portman could film 'Thor: Love and Thunder'
The family moved abroad again in September 2020, this time so Portman could reprise her role as Jane Foster in the highly-anticipated Marvel film "Thor: Love and Thunder."
Portman told Jimmy Kimmel during a 2022 appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that her kids went to the same school as her costar Chris Hemsworth's kids.
While working on the film, Portman also made time for romantic getaways with Millepied. In March 2021, she and her husband went on a trip to Australia's Blue mountains, People reported, citing a now-deleted Instagram post of Portman's.
June 2022: Millepied supported Portman at various events for 'Thor: Love and Thunder'
Millepied was by Portman's side for many events on the "Thor: Love and Thunder" press tour including the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles and the UK premiere in London ahead of its July 2022 release.
August 4, 2022: The couple celebrated 10 years of marriage
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Natalie Portman (@natalieportman)
(Video) Love Triangle Exposed! Natalie Portman and Husband Benjamin Millepied's Shocking Affair Revelation!
Portman and Millepied celebrated 10 years of marriage on August 4, 2022. Portman, who is a notoriously private person, shared a message to her husband on her Instagram account to commemorate the occasion.
"Ten years today @benjaminmillepied, and it keeps getting better," she wrote.
September 2022: Portman supported Millepied while he was promoting 'Carmen,' his feature film directorial debut
It was Portman's turn to support Millepied on a press tour in 2022 when his feature film directorial debut, "Carmen," was shown at the Toronto Film Festival that September.
The "Where The Heart Is" star later expressed how proud she was of her husband and the film in a sweet Instagram post.
June 2023: Reports that Millepied had an extramarital affair began to surface
In June 2023, the French magazine Voici reported that Millepied had cheated on Portman with a younger woman from France. According to Page Six, the Voici report said that Portman discovered the alleged affair in March.
On the same day the initial report surfaced, an unidentified source told People that Millepied "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 also said that the affair "was short-lived and it is over."
In another unconfirmed report that month, an unnamed source told Us Weekly that "Natalie believes Benjamin's affair was a brief and stupid liaison that means nothing to him."
Days after the cheating was reported, Portman was seen without Millepied but still wearing her ring at a soccer game in Paris.
August 2023: Portman was spotted in Australia without her wedding ring
The "Jackie" star attended an event in Sydney, Australia in support of Angel City FC, the National Women's Soccer League team she cofounded, and didn't appear to be wearing her wedding ring, according to reports. Portman's trip abroad coincided with the couple's 11th wedding anniversary on August 4.
Several days after Portman was seen without her ring, unconfirmed reports said that the "No Strings Attached" star had separated from Millepied.
"After news of his affair came out, they've been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs," an unnamed source told Us Weekly of Portman and Millepied.
FAQs
How did Natalie Portman get ready for Black Swan? ›
We added in swimming, so I was swimming a mile a day, toning and then doing three hours of ballet class a day.” However, the actor kept extending the amount of ballet she was practising, “Two months before, we added the choreography, so we were doing probably eight hours a day.”
Did Natalie Portman meet her husband on the set of The Black Swan? ›Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied's Relationship Timeline: From 'Black Swan' to Parenthood. A beautiful love story. Natalie Portman and her husband, Benjamin Millepied, met on the set of her film Black Swan in 2009.
Who did Natalie Portman date in Black Swan? ›Early 2010: Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied are spotted spending time together. Prior to the premiere of Black Swan, Portman and Millepied were spotted together on several occasions before publicly confirming they were an item.
Who did Natalie Portman marry from Black Swan? ›Black Swan star Natalie Portman and husband Benjamin Millepied are trying to desperately save their marriage after alleged extramarital affair, according to reports.
How did Natalie Portman feel about Black Swan? ›“The reaction definitely feels different, but I always work hard and I always love collaborating with the people I've been lucky enough to work with.” Then, thinking it over, she admitted, “It felt, really exciting and demanding, and there was a lot of creative synergy that I felt with Darren, but you just can never ...
How much dancing did Natalie Portman really do in Black Swan? ›Sarah Lane, a soloist with New York's American Ballet Theatre who served as Portman's dancing double, said in a recent interview with EW.com that the actress performed only 5% of her full-body dancing scenes. In a number of cases, she said, Portman's face was digitally superimposed onto Lane's body in post-production.
How did Natalie and Benjamin meet? ›The two met on the set of the 2010 movie Black Swan, for which Natalie won the Best Actress award at the 2011 Academy Awards, and Benjamin created the choreography for.
Did Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis actually dance in Black Swan? ›Mila Kunis makes ballerina dance double Sarah Lane's accusations appear petty. Sarah Lane (l.), an American Ballet Theatre ballerina who doubled for Natalie Portman (r.) in the film 'Black Swan,' says Ms. Portman didn't do the majority of her dancing in the movie.
Who is Natalie Portman crush? ›Natalie Portman has a crush on Robert Pattinson.
Is Natalie Portman A Vegan? ›Portman says, “Diet is a big part of it. I'm vegan, and I drink a lot of water. If I have dairy, I break out immediately.” After living in Paris for a couple of years, Natalie Portman, her 5-year-old son, and husband Benjamin Millepied, are now living in Los Angeles.
Who is the love interest in Black Swan? ›
Sebastian Stan Plays Love Interest To Both Natalie Portman And Mila Kunis In 'Black Swan'
Were Hayden and Natalie dating? ›He was said to have dated his Star Wars co-star Natalie Portman for a brief period of time in the early noughties when the two filmed the first prequel. In 2002, he even said in an interview that he had to fall in love with Portman “just a little bit” to add authenticity to his role.
Is Natalie Portman's husband vegan? ›Portman's husband isn't vegan, and this sometimes leads Aleph to question why he's eating different foods. “There had been conversations because my husband is not vegan, and so my son has asked, 'Why do you eat that and mommy doesn't?' And I talked to him about it, and it's really changed.
How did Natalie Portman meet Benjamin Millepied? ›Portman and Millepied met on the set of 'Black Swan' in 2009 and love blossomed. In almost a year, they announced their engagement. The estranged couple tied the knot in 2012 in an intimate wedding near Big Sur in California after dating for almost four years.
Did Natalie Portman study ballet for Black Swan? ›We know that Natalie Portman studied ballet as a kid and had a year of intensive training for the film, but that doesn't add up to being a ballerina. However, it seems that many people believe that Portman did her own dancing in Black Swan."
Did Natalie Portman need to learn ballet for Black Swan? ›Natalie Portman studied ballet from the ages 4 to 12, at which point she turned her focus to her acting career. That early training helped prepare her for her latest role, as a ballerina with a (very) dark side in Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller Black Swan.
Did Natalie Portman train for the Black Swan? ›Trained intensively under Mary Helen Bowers, New York City ballet dancer. For one one year training six day a week eight hours a day. Natalie Portman prepared for Black Swan.
Did Natalie Portman dance well in Black Swan? ›There was in a lot of the marketing materials for "Black Swan," certainly the implication that Natalie became a great world class ballet dancer." Lane acknowledged that while Portman trained hard for the film, her dancing technique was nowhere near as good as hers.