Natalie Portman Is Rewriting The Script For Loving In Your 40s After Divorce

When Natalie Portman split from her husband in 2023 after 11 years of marriage, it was under the worst circumstances imaginable. She was 42, they'd had two children together, and he had reportedly cheated with a younger woman in her 20s. By society's traditional standards, the situation was a loss for Portman, and all that seemed to be left for her was to either gracefully forgive him or quietly move on and eventually settle for a relationship that lacked the depth of what she'd lost.

But Portman refused to follow that script, and in August 2026, less than three years after her divorce was finalized, she welcomed a baby with her new partner, Tanguy Destable. The actor is also enjoying the perks of being in a relationship rooted in experience and maturity.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar in 2026, Portman shared what it's like to start a relationship as a fully formed adult and how she's approaching it. "I do feel like it's so simple, just being kind and loving and being able to laugh. That's all that matters," she said. "That's the joy of being this age. If it's not that, I'm not spending my time there." Like many female actors who did better than ever after getting divorced, Portman is thriving in her new life, and that much is obvious to see.

Many celebrities choose to share candid remarks about their divorces, but Natalie Portman did the opposite. Despite the speculation and probing from curious fans and nosy outlets, the actor kept the details of the split to herself and only addressed it once in a short remark to Vanity Fair in 2024. "It's terrible, and I have no desire to contribute to it," she said. And she didn't. However, a source told People just a few months later that despite her brave face, the actor understandably struggled with the new reality. "It was initially really tough for her, but her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the worst of it," the insider said.

In front of the cameras, Natalie Portman subtly dressed for revenge, kept her personal life private, and didn't share any criticisms directly or indirectly about her ex-husband. One thing she revealed, however, was that a comment from a special celebrity helped during her trying times. "I think every woman going through a divorce should get to have Rihanna say to her that she's a bad b***h," she said during an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." "It was exactly what I needed."