The Rumored Affair That Rocked Natalie Portman And Benjamin Millepied's Marriage
Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swam" marked a major milestone not only in Natalie Portman's career but also in her personal life. Her performance of the mentally tortured ballerina in the 2010 psychological drama earned the actor her first Academy Award, but the film set is also where Portman fell in love with Benjamin Millepied in the fall 2009. The French dancer choreographed (and also starred alongside) Portman and Mila Kunis, helping instill the authenticity Aronofsky was after. After three years together, Portman and Millepied tied the knot in August 2012.
By then, Portman had already started a family with Millepied, welcoming their son Aleph in June 2011. Portman and Millepied had become engaged the previous year during her pregnancy, two events they confirmed at the same time. They expanded the brood in February 2017, when their daughter Amalia joined them earth-side. Portman showed she was supportive of Millepied's career early on, accepting to move her family to France in 2014 when he was selected as director of the Paris Opera Ballet.
Even though Portman and Millepied moved back to Los Angeles in 2016, they have continued to frequently fly out to his home country throughout their marriage. Just in late May, Portman and Millepied were spotted at a Beyoncé concert in France, where she has been promoting her film "May December" at the Cannes Film Festival. Around that time, incriminating photographs of Millepied were taken and published a few days later, giving rise to infidelity rumors that have shaken their marriage.
Benjamin Millepied has been linked to a young French environmentalist
On May 24, two days before he attended the Beyoncé concert with Natalie Portman, Benjamin Millepied and French environment activist Camille Étienne [pictured above], who is 20 years his junior, were seen entering his office separately and exiting within minutes of each other two hours later, Page Six reported. Portman reportedly learned he was having an affair with a much younger woman in March, France's Voici reported.
According to a source who spoke with People, the affair between Millepied and Étienne is in the past. "It was short-lived and it is over," the insider said in the June 2 report. Millepied is reportedly willing to do what it takes to fix his marriage. "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 source added. Despite the alleged infidelity, the couple has not pulled the plug on their marriage, a source told Page Six, also on June 2. "They have not split and are trying to work things out," they said.
While hurt, Portman wants to make it work. "Natalie believes Benjamin's affair was a brief and stupid liaison that means nothing to him," a source told Us Weekly on June 7. Just days after his supposed rendezvous with Étienne, Millepied and Portman were seen being affectionate with each other. On June 7, Portman attended the French Open wearing her wedding ring.
Benjamin Millepied was in a relationship when he met Natalie Portman
When Benjamin Millepied started going out with Natalie Portman, he was reportedly still with Isabella Boylston, a ballerina with whom he had been living, reports Details magazine. Boylston's fellow dancers at the American Ballet Theatre School were quick to defend her. "[He acted] pretty brutally and unchivalrously," a company member told The Guardian in 2016.
Millepied and Boylston appeared to be just fine before he left her. They were sharing an apartment in the East Village and traveling the world as performers, OK! noted in 2010. The then-couple had also just taken a vacation to the Caribbean, according to the Observer. Because of how sudden the split was, some viewed Millepied's decision to leave Boylston to be with Portman as more than just one sparked by love.
According to a source who spoke with Page Six in 2010, Millepied saw in Portman an opportunity to advance his career. "Maybe they have a great relationship ... But knowing Benjamin, I don't think that's how it is," the insider said. Millepied may have been married to Portman for more than a decade, but some still remember the past. "I hope Isabella Boylston is having a good day!" a Twitter user wrote, sharing a link to a news report about Millepied's reported infidelity.