‘It was initially really tough for her’: Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied finalize divorce after 11 years of marriage

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied have finalized their divorce after 11 years of marriage.

The process began quietly eight months ago with Portman filing for divorce in July 2023.

The official completion of the divorce occurred last month in France where the couple resided with their two children, People reported.

How Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied navigated private separation

Despite the challenges following media reports in May 2023 of an extramarital affair by Millepied, Portman has emerged stronger, finding solace in her family, friends, and work.

An insider detailed to the outlet how Portman navigated the separation process which was quite tough with her friends standing behind her back.

“It was initially really tough for her, but her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the worst of it,” a friend told the outlet.

"Natalie is coming out of a really tough and painful year but she's come out the other side of it stronger and is finding joy in her family, friends and work," the insider added further. 

Natalie Portman is prioritizing her family and is focusing on co-parenting

Portman and Millepied are focused on being the best co-parents to their children son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, seven, and beyond that nothing is more important right now. 

“Her biggest priority has been ensuring a smooth transition for her children,” the friend said further.

 "She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important," the friend added. Notably, Portman has not worn her wedding ring from last spring.

Even as Millepied was reportedly trying "doing all he can to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together" in June 2013 following cheating rumors, things seem to have not gotten better. 

Natalie Portman addressed split rumors last month and said that she is living a non-Hollywood life

Portman, while addressing the rumors of the split with Vanity Fair on February 21, 2024, stated, “It’s terrible, and I have no desire to contribute to it.”

She also shared her approach to balancing life between Paris and Los Angeles, emphasizing a down-to-earth lifestyle away from the typical Hollywood scene.

"I lead a very non-Hollywood life in LA," she told the outlet. "I live on the east side. I have some friends who are in the entertainment industry," she said, adding "but many friends who are not, and we don't do industry things when we hang out."

"We're not going to Hollywood parties, we're having dinners at home in the backyard," Portman further said. 

Inside Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied's relationship 

Portman and Millepied first met in 2009 during the production of the thriller 'Black Swan.'

Their relationship blossomed over time, leading to a private wedding ceremony in Big Sur, California, in 2012.

"I met my husband on it, so I think I was in, like, dreamland," Portman said in a 2018 SiriusXM Town Hall interview.

"It seemed pretty fun the whole time. We had a whole, like, he was teaching me to dance," Portman added.

Celebrating a decade of marriage in August 2022, Portman expressed her enduring affection for Millepied on social media saying, "Ten years today @benjaminmillepied," she wrote that August, "and it keeps getting better."