If you’ve ever rooted for a couple from the sidelines of pop culture, Natalie Portman Husband and Benjamin Millepied were one of those pairs you quietly hoped would make it all the way. Their story started in a rehearsal room and, for a long stretch, looked like a fairytale built on art, grit, and the very normal chaos of raising kids while juggling big careers. Today, they’re no longer together, yet the arc of how they met, married, built a home, and now co-parent still reads like a very human, very real love story one a lot of families can recognize in their own way.
Who is Natalie Portman husband now ex-husband?
Benjamin Millepied is a French-born dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker best known in mainstream circles as the choreographer who helped shape the ballet world of Black Swan and, within dance, as a former principal at New York City Ballet and the founder of L.A. Dance Project. He’s one of those behind-the-scenes creatives who moves entire productions with his vision.
How they met and why it felt cinematic even offscreen
The two met while filming Black Swan in 2009. He was brought in to choreograph the film and train Portman intensively; she was disappearing into the role that would earn her an Oscar. Rehearsals turned into long days of discipline and trust, and by the time cameras stopped rolling, a relationship had quietly taken shape. It’s the sort of origin story that fits them art first, then everything else.
Engagement, baby news, and that Big Sur wedding
The pace picked up quickly after Black Swan. Portman and Millepied got engaged in 2010, welcomed their son, Aleph, in June 2011, and married the following summer. Their wedding an intimate Jewish ceremony in Big Sur, California took place outdoors, under a chuppah, with the kind of low-key, after-sunset glow that suited two people who value their privacy.
Building a life (and moving it across continents)
Like a lot of couples in the arts, their life followed the work. When Millepied was tapped to lead the Paris Opera Ballet, the family relocated to France for a time. It wasn’t just a career move; it shaped the family’s rhythm new language, new city, young kids in tow. Later, they split time with Los Angeles as projects shifted back to the U.S. If you’ve ever moved for a partner’s job, you know the mix of pride and logistics that come with that choice.
Two kids, normal moments
They have two children together: Aleph, born in June 2011, and Amalia, born in February 2017. That second birth came right as Portman was deep in awards season, and she skipped the Oscars that year a very “real life comes first” moment that a lot of parents nodded along to. Through the years, they’ve kept the kids out of the spotlight and prioritized privacy, which, in Hollywood terms, is a full-time job on its own.
Work, identity, and supporting each other’s lanes
What always stood out about them was how their work crossed paths but didn’t compete. He choreographed, directed, and built companies; she produced, acted, and advocated. You’d spot him at her premieres (and vice versa), then see them peel back into their own lanes. That balance cheering loudly without losing your own center looked healthy from the outside and probably helped them go as long as they did.
The hard part: separation and divorce
In 2023, reports surfaced that rocked the marriage. Portman filed for divorce that July. By February 2024, the divorce was finalized in France. After more than a decade together, they chose to end the marriage and shift into a new chapter as co-parents. None of that makes the earlier years less meaningful; if anything, it puts a sharper lens on how complicated long relationships can be when life is public and schedules never stop.
Where things stand now
As of now, they’re divorced and focused on raising their two children. Millepied keeps creating on stage, on film, and with L.A. Dance Project while Portman continues to work in film and lend her voice to causes she cares about. The marriage ended, but the family remains, just in a different shape than before. That’s not a headline; it’s a reality a lot of families recognize when they choose to prioritize kids and respect over drama.
A simple, human timeline
- 2009: Meet during Black Swan rehearsals; he choreographs, she trains like an athlete. Sparks.
- 2010: Engagement. The world learns they’re serious.
- June 2011: Son Aleph is born. New parents, new season.
- Aug. 4, 2012: Big Sur wedding, Jewish ceremony under a chuppah, intimate and outdoors.
- 2014–2016: Family life in Paris while he leads the Paris Opera Ballet.
- Feb. 2017: Daughter Amalia is born. Portman skips the Oscars to be home with zero regrets.
- July 2023: Portman files for divorce in France.
- Feb. 2024: Divorce finalized; they begin the next chapter as co-parents.
What their story says about love and family
There’s something grounding about the path they took. Two artists met doing the thing they love, built a home that could pack up and cross oceans, and tried to stay normal in an abnormal industry. Kids do that to you you plan your life around rehearsals and premieres, but bedtime still lands when it lands. What I appreciate is that even when things got publicly messy, the statements and the reporting around them pointed to quiet decisions and a focus on the kids. That’s not flashy; it’s mature.
Final thoughts
If you landed here searching Natalie Portman husband the short version is this: they fell in love doing the work that made them who they are, built a family, and after more than a decade, chose to part ways with as much privacy and steadiness as possible. Their love story isn’t less real because it ended; it’s real because it happened complete with late-night rehearsals, cross-continental moves, baby milestones, and adult decisions that aren’t easy to make in private, let alone in public. And for the kids at the center of it, the most important chapter is the one they’re writing now, with two parents still showing up.
