rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
Natalie Portman is publicly crediting Rihanna as a source of moral support following their much-buzzed-about Paris Fashion Week meetup earlier this year.
Video of the interaction, which took place in January, shows Rihanna praising Portman as “one of the hottest bitches in Hollywood forever.”
From the sound of it, Portman took that sentiment to heart. Appearing on “The Tonight Show” Monday, the “May December” actor said Rihanna’s words of encouragement came as she was experiencing some personal anguish.
“Every woman going through a divorce should get to have Rihanna say to her that she’s a bad bitch,” she explained. “It was exactly what I needed. It was a formative moment in my life.”
Watch a clip of Natalie Portman’s “Tonight Show” interview below.
As E! News pointed out, Portman’s “Tonight Show” interview appears to be the first time she’s spoken publicly about her split from Benjamin Millepied, a French dancer and choreographer.
The former couple ― who share children Aleph, 13, and Amalia, 7 ― met while filming “Black Swan” in 2009. They finalized their divorce in February.
In 2023, the French outlet Voici alleged that Millepied was having an affair with Camille Étienne, an environmental activist, though that report was never substantiated.
Prior to her “Tonight Show” appearance, Portman had only briefly alluded to the demise of her marriage in a February interview with Vanity Fair.
“It’s terrible, and I have no desire to contribute to it,” Portman said, when asked about her love life being subjected to media scrutiny.
After journalist Keziah Weir admitted she “[didn’t] love asking about it, either,” Portman added: “I can imagine.”
In recent weeks, Portman has been linked in the media with fellow actor Paul Mescal after the pair were photographed together in London. It should be noted that Mescal, who returns to the big screen in “Gladiator II” this fall, is also heavily rumored to be in a new relationship with musician Gracie Abrams.
Speaking to The Guardian last week, Portman suggested her relationship with Mescal was built on professional admiration rather than romance.
“I’m very in awe of his talent,” she said.