Natalie Portman & Benjamin Millepied: The Paris Affair That Ended an 11-Year Marriage

What Happened

Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied met on the set of 'Black Swan' in 2009, where Millepied served as the film's choreographer. They married in California in August 2012 and had two children — Aleph, born in 2011, and Amalia, born in 2017. The couple relocated to Paris in 2014 when Millepied was appointed director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, and France became their primary residence.

In May 2023, French tabloid Voici published photographs of Millepied with a younger woman, 25-year-old climate activist Camille Etienne, igniting a media firestorm. Portman, who had cultivated one of Hollywood's most private personal lives, was suddenly at the center of an international scandal. She reportedly attempted to save the marriage initially, but by July 2023, she had filed for divorce in France.

The decision to file in France rather than California had significant legal implications. French divorce law differs markedly from California's community property system. France does not automatically split assets 50/50; instead, courts consider each spouse's contributions, needs, and the circumstances of the marriage. The proceedings were conducted under strict French privacy protections, with virtually no financial details reaching the public.

The divorce was finalized in February 2024 — remarkably fast for an international case involving two jurisdictions, two children, and substantial assets. Portman's net worth was estimated at $90 million, while Millepied's was considerably less. The private nature of the settlement means the financial terms remain unknown, but the speed of resolution suggests both parties reached a negotiated agreement rather than litigating.

Legal Breakdown: International Divorce Jurisdiction

What This Means for Your Divorce