Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied separated after his alleged affair, but the actress believes he has some remorse for his actions.
“She has no doubt he regrets what he did,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly, adding that “things just haven’t been the same” since. “It was a really humiliating scenario for Natalie.”
In June, rumors swirled that Millepied, 46, had an affair with 25-year-old climate activist Camille Étienne. On Monday, August 7, Us confirmed that Portman, 42, and Millepied separated after 11 years of marriage. The duo, who met in 2009 while filming Black Swan, marked their anniversary on Saturday, August 4.
A second source says the pair — who share two children together — “tried to work things out” to no avail. “The damage was done,” the source tells Us. “She couldn’t forgive him and is taking a break for now.”
While Millepied’s alleged infidelity seems to have been the last straw, the first insider notes that he and Portman had been having issues for a while. “The spark has been missing for a really long time,” the insider says.
While Portman is currently “focusing on the kids, her work and taking care of herself,” she still thinks Millepied “is a great dad” to their son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 6.
Portman was spotted without her wedding ring while attending the Angel City Equity Summit on Saturday, which happened to be her anniversary. She was seen walking in Sydney, Australia, with her hands in her pockets while wearing a gray blazer, white button-down and jeans. Her wedding ring was noticeably missing from her left hand when she took it out of her pockets.
In June, an insider told Us that Portman was “willing to see if she’s capable of rebuilding her trust” in Millepied after the affair to ensure that their kids don’t “grow up in a broken home.”
A second insider, meanwhile, said that Portman wasn’t sure whether she and her husband would be able to make it work following the scandal. “Right now, they are talking and working on it together for the sake of their children,” the source explained.
Portman and Millepied tied the knot in 2012 after getting engaged two years earlier. In 2017, Portman hinted that meeting him on Black Swan was more important to her than winning an Oscar for her role. “The husband more,” she said at the Vulture Festival when asked about how remarkable it was to hit both milestones on one set. “It was really special and making it was really wonderful and so fun. It was really incredible.”
For more on Portman and Millepied’s separation, watch the video above and pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
