The Rumored Relationship Red Flag That Predicted Natalie Portman's Divorce

Academy Award-winning actor Natalie Portman and professional dancer Benjamin Millepied were among the many celebrity couples who sadly split up in 2023, with their divorce reportedly finalized the following year. Though the former couple themselves have largely kept quiet on the matter, the final straw seemed to be when Millepied reportedly stepped out on Portman. The choreographer's alleged extramarital activities came to light in June 2023, with a source disclosing to People at the time that the affair was brief and Millepied "knows he made an enormous mistake and he is doing all he can to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together." Evidently, he was unsuccessful. 

However, the "Garden State" star might have actually seen it coming, as there was a rumored relationship red flag that predicted her divorce long before it happened. After all, Millepied apparently had another girlfriend when he first hooked up with Portman around 2009. According to The Guardian, the Frenchman was even still living with his then-partner when he was working on "Black Swan" with Portman and sparks began to fly between the two. This ultimately culminated in Millepied leaving his girlfriend for the actor. 

So, yeah, the start of their relationship was just a little bit sketchy. Granted, Millepied and Portman went on to wed in 2012, and were married for an entire decade before things irreparably fell apart. But as the old adage goes, if they'll cheat with you, they'll probably cheat on you. People can certainly grow and change, but old habits still die hard.

To the surprise of no one, least of all Natalie Portman, the ink had barely dried on the divorce papers when Benjamin Millepied was spotted with a new petite amie in 2024. Fortunately, the Oscar winner was fairly unbothered by her ex-husband moving on so quickly after their split. As a source explained to Us Weekly that November, "Natalie isn't surprised that Benjamin has moved on because of how their relationship ended. She thought he'd move on pretty quickly," adding that the actor wishes him all the best in his future relationships. Another insider clarified to Page Six that the "Black Swan" star "doesn't really care who Benjamin is dating. She moved on a long time ago."

Around that same time, Portman proved she was ready for a fresh start herself when she debuted a drastic post-divorce haircut. Earlier in 2024, the beloved actor also shared how Rihanna of all people helped give her the confidence she needed to come to terms with the end of her marriage. "[Meeting her] was an amazing experience for me. I think every woman going through a divorce should get to have Rihanna say to her that she's a bad b***h," Portman excitedly told "The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon. Later, in March 2025, People confirmed that the "Star Wars" alum was dating music producer Tanguy Destable. That being said, Portman made it clear in an April 2025 interview with Interview magazine that her two children were her top priority post-divorce no matter what.