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Natalie Portman Is ‘Starting Over’ After Benjamin Millepied Split: Decided to ‘Move on With Her Life’
On August 4, 2022, Natalie Portman shared a rare public Instagram post about Benjamin Millepied to mark their 10th wedding anniversary. “It keeps getting better,” the Jackie star captioned a black-and-white pic of herself and the choreographer. But exactly a year later, Natalie spent their anniversary as a speaker at the Angel City Equity Summit in Sydney, Australia. Her ring finger was bare, and Benjamin was nowhere in sight.
Just days later, reports broke that the pair — who first met on the 2009 set of Black Swan — were separating because Natalie, 42, couldn’t forgive his alleged affair with a French activist. “Natalie is very private about her personal life, but it’s clear that she’s starting over,” a source tells Life & Style exclusively. “She’s decided to move on with her life without Benjamin by her side.”
According to reports, Natalie discovered in March that Benjamin, 46, had cheated with climate change warrior Camille Étienne, 25, but she continued to wear her wedding band as the couple attempted to work things out. The married duo were even seen kissing during a May dinner — but by June, they were caught having what appeared to be a tear-filled filled conversation while out with kids Aleph, 12, and Amalia, 6, at a Paris park. “Deciding to take the ring off was a huge decision. Natalie tried to forgive Benjamin, to look at all sides of the situation,” says the source. “She considered every way to salvage the marriage, but she realized it would never be the same, because the betrayal was too deep.”
Natalie’s No. 1 concern has always been the welfare of the children. “Aleph and Amalia were all she could think about; everything she tried to do to make it work was for their sake,” alleges the source. “At the end of the day, though, Natalie had to consider her happiness. It was the only way her kids would flourish.”
The Oscar winner is using all of her talents to ensure her children know things will be OK. “She’s putting on a brave face for them, but once they’re asleep, the nights are the toughest,” shares the source. “She cries herself to sleep over the loss of her marriage.”
While finding new love isn’t out of the question, the source says, “the last thing Natalie wants to do is date. That’s not even a thought. It’s all about the kids and focusing on work. Her motto right now is simple: Keep your head up and stay strong; life goes on.”
