Natalie Portman is giving a heartfelt shoutout to her friends. The 43-year-old actress expressed her gratitude as she celebrated her birthday in an Instagram post on Sunday, June 9.
This comes after Portman finalized her divorce from her husband, Benjamin Millepied, in February.
“This year, on my birthday, I want to celebrate my gratitude for my friends who lift me up again and again,” Portman wrote in the caption, sharing several photos of herself with her friends.
Most of the snaps appeared to have been taken recently, showing Portman posing with her friends at various locations and events, including an afterparty at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the Dior Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show in Paris.
Portman’s comments come after an emotional time following her separation from Millepied, 47.
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied (Credits: Lionel Hahn/Getty)
In July 2023, Portman quietly filed for divorce from Millepied after reports surfaced of his extramarital affair in May 2023. The divorce was finalized seven months later in France, where the family resides.
Portman met the choreographer and dancer on the set of Black Swan in 2009 when he was hired to train her for the movie — a role that earned her the Best Actress Oscar in 2011.
The couple welcomed their first child, son Aleph, in 2011 and married the following year. Their daughter Amalia was born in 2017.
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied attend the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 27, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California.
Natalie Portman (Credits: Getty Images)
In March, a source told that Portman and Millepied are focused on creating a “smooth transition” for their children amid their divorce.
“She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important,” a friend of the former couple told.
The insider added that Portman was receiving strong support from her friends and family during this challenging period.
“It was initially really tough for her, but her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the worst of it,” they said.
“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.”
