Why Natalie Portman Ended Her Friendship With Jared Kushner
Fun fact: Natalie Portman and Jared Kushner used to be friends — well, maybe more like acquaintances — during their time at Harvard University. But, according to the Black Swan star, the White House senior adviser has since transformed into a "supervillain."
During a June 2018 interview on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Portman revealed that she and Kushner were "friendly" during their college years. However, her opinion of him began to change as he went on to marry President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka in 2009 and join the Trump administration in 2016. Her distaste for her former friend was revealed after Colbert jokingly asked, "Are you saying they let dummies into Harvard?" The Oscar-winning actress shadily replied: "I mean..."
While she shied away from completely trashing Kushner, Portman did add that "he wasn't that great of a student." She went on to reveal how she feels about him now that he's a close colleague to President Trump. "Unfortunately, it's not very... there's not a lot funny to say about someone you were friends with becoming a supervillain," she explained.
Natalie Portman was part of Jared Kushner's 'exfoliation' process
Prior to his career in politics, Jared Kushner was seen photographed with the likes of the liberal elite, including filmmaker Michael Moore and businesswoman Arianna Huffington, Vanity Fair reported. But, following his inception into the Trump Administration, Kushner became a public enemy to many of his former friends. While some would be disappointed to have lost so many connections, it's something Kushner likened to "an exfoliation" in November 2016.
Following Trump's election win, Kushner spoke with Forbes about the broken relationships he endured as a result of his continued involvement with Trump's presidential campaign and subsequent administration. "I call it an exfoliation," he explained. "Anyone who was willing to change a friendship or not do business because of who somebody supports in politics is not somebody who has a lot of character."
Stephen Colbert referenced the comment during an interview with Natalie Portman. "So. You're a dead skin cell," Colbert jokingly told the Annihilation star. To which Portman replied, "Proudly!"