In June 2023, it was revealed that Natalie Portman’s then-husband, Benjamin Millepied, had an affair with a 25-year-old French woman named Camilla Etienne. Prior to this, in March, we learned that Natalie and Benjamin had quietly separated and finalized their divorce. They were married for 11 years and have two children together, a son Aleph, 13, and a daughter Amalia, 7. In mid-October, Benjamin was papped on the streets of Paris making out with a new woman. So, what does Natalie think about her ex’s PDA? A source tells Us Weekly that she’s not surprised at all. In fact, she expected him to move out “pretty quickly.”
“Natalie isn’t surprised that Benjamin has moved on because of how their relationship ended. She thought he’d move on pretty quickly,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
Millepied, 47, was seen passionately kissing a mystery woman in Paris on October 15. The PDA came seven months after the French dancer and Portman, 43, finalized their divorce in March. Us previously confirmed in August 2023 that Portman and Millepied had quietly split after 11 years of marriage. News of the breakup came two months after it was widely reported that Millepied had an affair with climate activist Camille Étienne.
“[Natalie] hopes Benjamin is happy,” the insider says, noting that Portman learned about the photos of Millepied locking lips with an unnamed woman shortly before they were made public last month.
A second source tells Us that Portman isn’t affected by Millepied’s romantic decisions.
“Benjamin’s dating life doesn’t really have any bearing on Natalie,” the second insider adds. “She’s super happy in her life right now and has been prioritizing family and friends.”
Portman previously voiced her “gratitude for my friends who lift me up again and again” while commemorating her birthday via Instagram in June.
In addition to focusing on her friendships, Portman is also prioritizing her and Millepied’s two children, son Aleph, 13, and daughter Amalia, 7. The first source tells Us that the former couple are “getting into the swing” of coparenting.
“Everything is moving smoothly so far,” the insider adds.
An additional source told Us in June that it took Portman “a while to get her smile back after the divorce,” but she “turned a corner” after finalizing the split.
“Natalie is her confident self [again],” the insider said at the time, noting that the actress had a “lighter step” and “more joy” in her eyes.
Portman and Millepied began dating after working together on 2010’s Black Swan, for which Portman won an Oscar for Best Actress. They tied the knot in 2012. The pair “started having problems” well before they split, another source told Us in January, noting that Portman “began to suspect infidelity” after Millepied started “taking work trips that didn’t add up.”
While the insider said Portman was “humiliated and utterly crushed by Benjamin’s behavior,” an additional source said that Portman “didn’t give up on [her marriage] lightly.”
Despite the contentious circumstances of their split, Portman and Millepied are “being very civil toward each other for the kids,” another source told Us in March.
As far as I’ve seen, this woman hasn’t been identified yet, but from the pictures of them kissing, her side profile is similar to Natalie’s, and that’s all I’ll say about that. If I were Natalie, I personally wouldn’t have even given him the satisfaction of any response, but hopefully her message was received and no one will ask her about Benjamin’s love life again. I’m not surprised he moved on quickly, either. The dude is scum. Good for them, I guess, for being able to co-parent together. Their kids deserve that. Anyway, cheating on his partner is kinda Benjamin’s MO at this point, so good luck to his new lady.
Photos credit: Federico Pestellini/Panoramic/Avalon, Thomas Floyd/Avalon and via Instagram