Natalie Portman reveals Rihanna helped her through divorce from Benjamin Millepied as moment was ‘what she needed’
Natalie Portman has revealed the kind words that Rihanna said to encourage her through her divorce from Benjamin Millepied.
The Star Wars actress met the 36-year-old for the first time at Paris Fashion Week in January and, after fangirling together, the singer told Natalie something that created a “formative moment.”
In the clip, caught on camera, Natalie, 43, told Rihanna, “I love you” who in return, received the reply, “I am a f**king fan.”
The Black Swan star continued, “I’m gonna faint. I’m gonna black out.
“I love you and I listen to your music all the time… You’re just such a queen. Thank you,” Natalie continued to praise the Fenty founder.
On Monday, Natalie told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that Rihanna had called her “one of the hottest b****** in Hollywood.”
“I think every woman going through a divorce should get to have Rihanna say to her that she’s a bad b****,” she said.
Jimmy then got to his feet and gave her loud applause.
After they showed the clip of her with Rihanna, Natalie said, “It was exactly what I needed.
“It was a formative moment in my life,” she added.
THE DIVORCE
Her latest comments follow her announcing her divorce from her husband, French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied, earlier this year.
They met on the set of the 2009 film Black Swan and married in 2012.
The former spouses share two children, a 12-year-old son named Aleph, and a daughter, Amalia, 7.
The couple never formally released a statement on their divorce and ‘quietly separated’ months before finalizing it in France, where they lived.
At the time, a source close to the situation claimed their split came after news of an affair Benjamin had come to light.
They told US Weekly, “After news of his affair came out, they’ve been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs.”
Another insider said: “Natalie believes Benjamin’s affair was a brief and stupid liaison that means nothing to him.”
Natalie was reportedly “willing” to try and repair their relationship and trust as she didn’t want their two youngsters to grow up in a “broken home.”
However, another source seemingly disputed this and said Natalie wasn’t sure she could rebuild what they had, and the choreographer “regrets” his infidelity.
Talking about meeting and working with her husband for the first time, Natalie said in an interview with SiriusXM Town Hall she was “in dreamland.”
“I met my husband on it, so I think I was in, like, dreamland.
“He was teaching me to dance. You know, one of those romantic [stories] …
“It was definitely exciting and fun. It was beautiful. I don’t know about instant.
“It was like I really got to know him and that was when it seemed like, ‘Oh this is the person.’”
PUTTING RUMORS TO REST
Earlier this month, Rihanna shut down pregnancy rumors while posing in lingerie.
The Needed Me hitmaker revealed an iconic collaboration would be returning to her fashion brand, Savage X Fenty‘s website.
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied Relationship Timeline
In March, Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied finalized their divorce after quietly separating in 2023. The former couple were married for 11 years before Benjamin's extramarital affair brought the relationship to an end.
- Fall 2009 – Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied meet on the set of Black Swan.
- October 7, 2010 – Natalie supports Benjamin at the New York City Ballet Fall Gala.
- December 2010 – The pair announce their engagement and pregnancy.
- February 27, 2011 – The expecting couple make their red carpet debut at the Academy Awards.
- June 14, 2011 – Natalie gives birth to the couple’s first child, a baby boy named Aleph.
- August 4, 2012 – Natalie and Benjamin get married at an oceanfront home in Big Sur, California.
- Late 2014 – Natalie and Benjamin move to Paris.
- September 24, 2015 – Natalie supports Benjamin at the Opening Season Paris Opera Ballet Gala.
- 2016 – The couple return to the United States after Benjamin left his job with the Paris Opera Ballet.
- September 2016 – Natalie and Benjamin announce they’re expecting their second child.
- February 22, 2017 – The couple welcome their daughter Amalia.
- February 2018 – Natalie and Benjamin team up for Vox Lux.
- August 4, 2022 – The actress and dancer celebrate 10 years of marriage.
- April 21, 2023 – Benjamin credits Natalie with helping him make Carmen.
- June 2, 2023 – Sources reveal Benjamin is trying to get Natalie to forgive him after his extramarital affair.
- August 20, 2023 – Natalie and Benjamin attend the Women’s World Cup
- February 21, 2024 – Natalie calls speculation about her marriage to Benjamin “terrible” and reveals she has “no desire to contribute to it” while talking to Vanity Fair.
- March 8, 2024 – Natalie and Benjamin divorce.
In pics shared on her lingerie company’s Instagram page, Rihanna stunned in only a matching black sheer lingerie set.
While enjoying a sunny Summer day in front of palm trees and bright flowers, the pop music singer rocked a plunging black bra and high-waisted underwear.
Rihanna left little to the imagination as she added a sheer-lined skirt over her undergarments with her body tattoos on full display.
In the second snap, the makeup mogul sat on a white chair while showing off her black pumps.
The star’s hair and makeup were perfectly executed while posing for the camera.
“The original Rihanna X Adam Selman collab for Savage X is BACK,” the post’s caption read.
Adam Selman is a fashion designer who has previously collaborated with Rihanna.
Over the last few months, fans were left convinced that Rihanna was pregnant with her third child but the revealing photo proved otherwise.
The Fenty Beauty founder has two children: RZA, two, and Riot, 10 months, with her boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky, 35.