Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied split after 11 years of marriage, according to various reports that came out over the summer. However, the duo, who share two children, son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 6, still have not publicly confirmed the status of their relationship. Hollywood Life has reached out to Natalie’s reps, but we haven’t heard back.
The Oscar-winning actress, 42, and the French director, 46, reportedly broke up earlier this year after Benjamin allegedly had an extramarital affair. Since then, Natalie and Benjamin have been seen together in public just once, when their son sat in between them at the Women’s World Cup in August.
Here’s everything we know about Natalie and Benjamin’s alleged split.
Why Did Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied Split?
The French outlet, Voici, was the first to report on Benjamin’s alleged extramarital affair on June 2. An insider told Page Six that the choreographer allegedly cheated with 25-year-old climate activist Camille Étienne. “[Benajmin and Natalie] have not split and are trying to work things out. Ben is doing everything he can to get Natalie to forgive him,” the source shared at the time. “He loves her and their family.”
Shortly after the news spread, a source told PEOPLE that the affair was “short-lived” and that Benjamin and Natalie “remain” together. “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 insider said in the June 2 report. “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.”
Throughout the summer, Natalie and Benjamin mostly spent time apart from each other as they seemingly dealt with marital issues. On June 7, Natalie enjoyed an outing without her spouse at the French Open, where she was all smiles. The following day, Benjamin went by himself to the Pathe theater in Paris for a screening of his directorial debut film, Carmen. And two days after that, Natalie was seen wiping away tears on a bench while at a park with Benjamin and their kids.
On August 7, news broke that Natalie and Benjamin split in the aftermath of his alleged affair. “After news of his affair came out, they’ve been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs,” an insider told Us Weekly. Later that month, Natalie and Benjamin reunited at the Women’s World Cup where their son sat in between them. Benjamin and Aleph reportedly left the game a little early without the Star Wars actress.
Most recently, Natalie ditched her wedding ring when she attended the premiere of her new movie, May December, on November 16. Natalie walked the red carpet solo and did not speak to reporters about her marriage.
How Long Were Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied Together?
Natalie and Benjamin met on the set of 2010’s Black Swan. They quickly struck up a romance and decided to get married two years later. “He was teaching me how to dance. It was one of those romantic [stories],” Natalie told Hoda Kotb in 2018 when recalling how she met her husband. “It was definitely exciting and fun. It was beautiful, but I don’t know about instant,” she admitted. “I really got to know him and then that’s when it really seemed, ‘Oh right, this is the person.’ ”
The couple’s son Aleph was born in 2011 and daughter Amalia joined the family several years later in 2017. Natalie and Benjamin have been famously private about their family life and protective of their children.
While it was reported that Natalie and Benjamin were still giving their marriage a shot following the cheating claims, Us Weekly reported in January 2024 that Natalie was officially done with her husband.
“She didn’t give up on [her marriage] lightly,” an insider told the outlet. “But it became pretty apparent toward the end of last year that her heart had gone out of it.”