Moving forward. Natalie Portman is attempting to stay positive after her husband, Benjamin Millepied, was accused of having an affair.
The No Strings Attached actress, 41, felt “humiliated” amid allegations of the director, 45, cheating with a younger woman, a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
Despite being hurt by Millepied’s alleged infidelity, Portman is remaining committed to her marriage. “Natalie believes Benjamin’s affair was a brief and stupid liaison that means nothing to him,” the insider adds.
The couple exchanged vows in 2012 and share two children: Aleph, 11, and Amalia, 6. According to the source, Portman is “willing to see if she’s capable of rebuilding her trust” in her husband to ensure that their kids don’t “grow up in a broken home.”
A second insider, however, tells Us that the Oscar winner “doesn’t know” whether she and Millepied will repair their relationship post-scandal. “Right now, they are talking and working on it together for the sake of their children,” the source explains, noting that Millepied “regrets” his actions.
Portman met the French dancer while working together on the 2010 thriller Black Swan. Millepied choreographed for the Darren Aronofsky film, which featured Portman and Mila Kunis as ballerinas competing for the coveted lead roles in Swan Lake.
“I think I was in, like, dreamland,” Portman gushed in a June 2018 interview, recalling her introduction to Millepied on set. “So, it was pretty … it seemed pretty fun the whole time. It was, like, I really got to know him and then that is when it seemed [like], ‘Oh, right, this is the person.'”
Earlier this year, Millepied opened up about his working relationship with his wife. “Well, [Natalie and I] share what we’re working on, but we’re like two artists with different ambitions and interests,” he exclusively told Us in April. “But of course we share what’s going on, and I’m sending her a new script that I finished.”
The former New York City Ballet principal credited Portman with helping him prepare to direct his first feature-length movie, Carmen, starring Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal.
“Just being on set and seeing directors work with [Natalie] and other actors was very helpful, for sure. Seeing just how every director has a different way to achieve interesting performances,” he told Us. “I think … the toughest part of the journey was really understanding why I was so attracted to making film as an artist … then now as a director and working on the script and then working with actors.”
Millepied previously called the Jackie actress as “an inspiration” — both on the big screen and at home. “You know, she’s been so driven you know in this last year to make the world a better place,” he told Us in 2018, referring to Portman’s activism during the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. “I think it’s inspiring.”
For more on Portman’s marriage, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
