Natalie Portman Thanks Friends In Wake Of Divorce For Lifting Her Spirits ‘again And Again’

Natalie Portman has thanked friends in the wake of her divorce from Benjamin Millepied for lifting her spirits “again and again”.

The ‘Black Swan’ actress, who met her choreographer ex-husband, 47, on the set of the ballet drama in 2009 before they tied the knot in 2012, shared her gratitude for her supportive pals in a post to mark her 43rd birthday.

She said in the message on her Instagram sent on Sunday (09.06.24): “This year, on my birthday, I want to celebrate my gratitude for my friends who lift me up again and again.”

Natalie accompanied the message with a carousel of photos showing her on adventures with friends and relatives over the years.

Her A-list pals flooded the comments section of the post to send birthday greetings, with ‘Black-ish’ actress Tracee Ellis Ross, 51, writing: “@natalieportman happy birthday gorgeous lady.”

Comic Mindy Kaling, 44, added: “Happy birthday, beautiful!”, while actress Reese Witherspoon, 48, said: “Happy Birthday, you incredible diamond of a human! I love you.”

And 48-year-old actress Isla Fisher – who recently said she and her ex-husband Sacha Baron Cohen, 52, had secretly filed for divorce in 2023 – added: “Ports I love you. Happy Birthday I’m so grateful you were born.”

Among the other famous faces sending birthday wishes to Natalie were Kerry Washington, 47, Julianne Moore, 63, Ali Wong, 42, and 40-year-old Chris Hemsworth.

This year marks Natalie’s first birthday since she finalised her divorce from Benjamin in February.

She filed for a split from her ex in July 2023 amid reports from Page Six he had allegedly cheated on her with a then-25-year-old woman named Camille Étienne.

Natalie and Benjamin initially separated in 2022 but worked through their marital issues before their marriage collapsed.

The former couple have two children – son Aleph, 12, and seven-year-old daughter Amalia.

Natalie has recently been at the centre of rumours she is dating ‘Normal People’ actor Paul Mescal, 28, after the pair were photographed smiling and laughing as they enjoyed a smoke together outside a cocktail bar in London – although an insider insisted to Us Weekly she is not currently dating.