Yesterday, Natalie Portman announced her engagement and her pregnancy to People Magazine, shocking many, many people. I was shocked, I will admit. I hadn’t predicted that one, and I honestly thought Natalie’s ballerina boyfriend Benjamin Millepied was just another dude in a long line of Natalie’s conquests. However, once I heard her announcement, my first thought was about Natalie’s Oscar campaign, and how smart this little announcement was. I mean, the awards season is just about to go full throttle for the next two months, the Golden Globes are in a few weeks (Natalie is nominated), and the Oscar nominations come just days later (Natalie is expected to be a front-runner, and a shoo-in for a nomination). So will Benjamin, her fiancé and baby-daddy, be her date for every event? Will Natalie give endless red carpet interviews about her bun in the oven, while glowing winningly? Or will the parade of surly bitchfaces commence once again, because Natalie is so “private”? I still don’t know… but just hours after Natalie confirmed her pregnancy and engagement, she released another statement to Entertainment Weekly:
Just a few hours after news of Natalie Portman’s engagement and pregnancy was announced, the Black Swan star has released this statement exclusively to EW: “I have always kept my private life private but I will say that I am indescribably happy and feel very grateful to have this experience.” For more with Portman, check out the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, featuring the annual “Oscar Race is On!” package, on stands later this week.
[From Entertainment Weekly]
Nice. A statement referencing her privacy, that she issued to a media outlet that deals almost entirely with the industry, rather than sheer celebrity gossip. So… I’m not expecting Natalie and Benjamin to be all glowing and handsy and “look at us” on every awards show red carpet. I think Natalie is going to try to have her cake and eat it too – she will bring Benjamin as her date for several events (but not every event), and they might pose on some red carpets, but there will be no gushing red carpet interviews. Because she’s so private. But she’ll still manage to work the pregnancy and engagement angle into an advantage for the Oscar campaign. It will be ingenious, and I look forward to it.
Oh, and Natalie sure stole any residual attention away from Mila Kunis, didn’t she? Right?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Ah, so private!
What better way to show her need for privacy by calling EW and talking to them about such private issue.
@Kaiser….so true. Well played, Natalie! She not only stole attention away from Mila, but that other low-end engaged couple, Leann & Ed.
I still like her. and this is brilliant!
Well played.
oops.
she reminds me of giada de laurentiis from food network.
aww thats nice shes one of those “private, serious actors”
At least he’s not ugly.
Oh well, congratulations and good luck to them! And a little prayer that the baby has HER forehead. Well, it is Celebitchy…
Well I am going to say congrats on the baby again, I still hope Annette or Juilianne win.
She’s definitely going full throttle on the Oscar nomination + win front.
Congratulations on her pregnancy. Congratulations on her smart PR campaign strategy too. She could have kept it all quiet like some actors and public personnalities have done with regards to their growing tummy which I highly appreciate. But making statements days before the Oscar nominations with no true pressure (the bump watch was not on and only very, very little people thought she could be pregnant). Instead, she’s going to use it as a smart shoe-in. It’s a part of the job of an actor that wants nominations and awards. Sigh.
The girl is having a baby and she’s ecstatic. She wants to announce it to the world. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Would you rather have her do a Mariah move, where it’ll become obvious that she’s pregnant and she still hasn’t announced it?? Natalie has always been pretty private and right now is her moment. She’s nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe and she’s pregnant. Good for her…let her have her moment! Congrats!
once more congrats to them BUT something fishy smells here…can’t put my finger on it but something doesn’t feel right..
She always artsy fartsy type of guys. Why do folks feel the need to get engaged when announcing a pregnancy? Do they think they are fooling anyone?
I am still very happy for her and i suspect that the supposed jealousy is a tabloid thing. It is my understanding that she suggested Mila for the role (Lainey had an article about Boobs Leggy trying out) just like she hand picked Anne Hathaway for her next movie. I think she just prefers to be surrounded by a certain type of person A bit of an elitist, sure. But Congrats! This is a very important time in her life.
I don’t know, if this were a campaign move wouldn’t it be smarter to announce when they’re actually voting for an Oscar winner? I don’t think anybody thought she was going to miss out on a nomination even without this announcement. But I guess there’s something to be said for momentum through the other awards like the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild.
I don’t believe the Mila jealousy story. It’s too much in the sexist template that tabloids use to pit females against each other. Anyway the person Natalie’s really competing with is Annette Bening not Mila Kunis so I don’t think she’s worried about Mila’s nominations. If anything it shows how deep the support for Black Swan is and that only helps Natalie’s chances to win.
@brin The idea that Natalie’s surprise announcement stole Leann’s thunder makes me happy because you just know Leann’s frustrated that she doesn’t get the publicity focus now.
I saw the movie Black Swan and I really don’t see anything spectacular for her to be nominated for an Oscar. She is an ok actress. Sounds like another Nicole Kidman and FishStick nomination to me.
This story is already overexposed. Don’t care. On to the next!
Am I just not jaded enough to think that she’s intentionally announcing a pregnancy to garner Oscar votes? Maybe she’s just announcing it now because she’s past her 1st trimester and feels it’s safe to announce it now. And yes, Ms Portman has always been very private. Noone even knew her real name for years (hint: it’s not Natalie Portman).
And, I meant to write this yesterday on the super-catty thread about her joint engagement/pregnancy announcement but didn’t get a chance: I don’t see anything wrong with being pregnant and engaged at the same time. That doesn’t always mean ‘shotgun wedding’ or, “Holy crap! I’m knocked up! Now you HAVE to marry me!” My husband and I were engaged for just weeks before we got pregnant (we weren’t trying or not trying to get pregnant–long story), so some people got the news of both events simultaneously. Big deal. This isn’t the 50s where that’s taboo anymore, people…
@guesty: You’re absolutely right. I was wondering who she reminded me of. Now I know why I can’t stand her. When DiLaurentiis smiles she reminds me of a shark.
When I watched the Black Swan I kind of felt Nat and Benjamin’s chemistry. I had no idea when I was watching that he was her boyfriend, he plays the male dancer who is the prince to her White Swan/Black Swan. They had a few scenes together and I think because he isn’t an actor it was easier to pick up on the fact there was something between them. The one scene I noticed this the most is when…well I guess I shouldn’t say what scene but I do so love that I could feel their chemistry. Just an observation.
I am so happy for Nat. As far as I can tell Nat has been one of the more private actresses in Hollywood. Nat just does her own thing she has never been annoying and besides Nat is very talented…whatever attention she has gotten from the press is well deserved. I can also assure you that Nat isn’t using her love life and pregnancy to court voters. Thats ridiculous.
i’m glad someone else agrees that she is just an ‘okay’ actress. she’s not that amazing. i liked her early on, but then realized she’s fairly one note as an actor.
obv. wish her congrats on the baby, that’s a given.
as for julianne and annette-they are both fantastic, but gawd that kids are alright sucked donkey balls….
i left part way thru.
mark ruffalo was gorgeous and yummy in that, too-and still i left! even the kids were great actors.
seriously, if that film were not about a gay couple, it would be whiney, pretentious and grating to anyone who saw it. i’m so tired of american films getting points simply for showcasing a gay relationship. sure, i get it, people ‘need’ to see different types of relationships, on all ends of the spectrum. because somehow, movies became less about entertainment, and films became less about art and the human condition, and EVERYTHING became about social activism and PC-ism. So effing boring.
anyway, mr magorium’s wonder emporium with dustin hoffman and natalie, and garden state, were films that I liked NP in. Before she got extra boring to me.
Private? No, more like hypocrite. As soon as these self-proclaimed “private” folks smell Oscar, their true colors show. Look at Kate W or even Sandy B…one of the funniest parts of Kaiser’s Ryan r/Scarjo divorce post is how she cited that people magazine article where Ryan & Sandy were all smug about how private their relationships were & thus so much better than other relationships!
Natalie has always been very private, we know very little about her life, except for her Harvard degree and for her acting career.
I don’t understand why most of you are so bitter about this announcement. Has she done this announcement to boost her chance to be nominated for the oscars? Maybe yes, maybe not. In any case, what’s new? I mean, are there celebrities who don’t act like that during the award seasons, or even when they’re just promoting a movie? Very few, but why she should be different? It’s part of their job to promote the movie, to get the change to be a nominee and win an award. At least she has never said that she has sex in a grotta, eh…
Probably this is the first time that she says something so private about her life, and frankly I’m not ashamed to say that I would believe her when she says that she’s making this announcement just because she is very happy.
Ps: “Natalie’s ballerina boyfriend Benjamin Millepied”
I’m not by any stretch the right person to correct grammar errors (considering my English…) but that made me laugh. B.M. is a ballerinO, “ballerina” is singular female. 😉
@cheyenne…right???!! lol. seriously…they could pass for sisters.
I love Natalie and her bitchtastic attitude to it all. She knows how to play and play it well. She’s a good actress and Black Swan was great.
Ok people pay attention. The male equivalent to a ballerina is a danseur. There is no ballerino.
“Danseur” is male singular in French, “ballerina” is female singular in Italian. So, “ballerino” is male singular in Italian, and “danseuse” is singular female in French.
For what I know, “ballerino” is commonly used in English, too, therefore in this case there’s no need to use the French translation to “dancer”. They are both correct, anyway.
We can go on listing all the translations of the word “dancer” in every other language, if you like, eh 😀
I really don’t find him attractive
I know most of you aren’t Natalie fans, but can’t you just envision this romantic moment (please pardon any mangling of Mr. Thousand Feet’s native language):? “Natalie, mon cherie! Un peu de fromage pour le bebe? Une omelette de fromage?”
(Couldn’t resist the tribute to Steve Martin there..)
Hmmm. French…ballet dancer…I find him attractive, although I find our Vincent MORE attractive…
Afterthought: aren’t the members of the Academy just suckers for actresses especially, who transform themselves physically for their roles? Many examples: Charlize Theron, “Monster”, Nicole Kidman, “The Hours”; Hilary Swank, “Million Dollar Baby” and “Boys Don’t Cry”, etc. I mean, Natalie did pretty much bust a– for this “Black Swan” role, so she’ll get brownie points from the Academy just for that.
Oscar moment: remember how HUGE Catherine Zeta Jones was when she won Best Supporting Actress for “Chicago”? I thought she was a good sport about it.
Other observation: Julianne Moore and Annette Bening will cancel each other out.
Ooooh, let the games begin!!!
This dude is a famewhore!!!! Trust me! Very acquainted with him and his antics! He is SO full of himself. He’s made his rounds throughout ballet companies. Got a little peen, too!!!!
I’m the first to admit, I am one cynical broad during the holidays when it comes to love….but I think this is a business move….to enhance her career…..
single moms in Hollywood are so, so trendy. And, it really helps with the image, you know. Especially when you’re already getting a reputation…..but I said I was a cynic.
Noone even knew her real name for years (hint: it’s not Natalie Portman).
___________
It’s Natalie Hershlag (not sure if it’s spelled right)and she’s from Syosset, NY. That’s never been a secret, even when she was just starting out.
@ GG
Im sure he is. she tends to go for the pretentious douchbag type, you know, like herself. lol cant wait to see this one unfold.
She had been getting a lot of bad press about her constant bitchface and Mila was getting all good press re: her acting and sunny attitude.
Two birds with one stone, Natalie?
The baby daddy doesn’t have a rep for staying true, does he?
She is undeniably beautiful and he’s attractive. I actually think she looked pretty with the bitchface on!
Again, not a fan, but man, I wish her all the best. Marriage and a kid so close together can be stressful.
The early stages of pregnancy can cause serious b-face, especially if your also trying to make all the press rounds.
She received a lot of criticism and maybe she thought people would cut her some slack? Or at least head off the eventual she’s getting heavy comments?
This site is getting so harsh lately.
Solveg: sorry to be a ball buster but ballerino is never correct. Not even in Italy. Ballerina is type of dancer, not any sort of title (obviously the exception being companies that use antiquated hierarchy such as employing one Prima Ballerina as a opposed to multiple principals). I am a ballerina but more importantly to me and the artistic director I am a soloist. We used to tease guys in the corps about being “ballerinos” but it’s not used professionally for the men. And that concludes today ballet lesson, I am off to the studio!
Aehm, my native language is Italian, and ballerino is commonly used in Italy to define all types of dancers, classic dancers included. Same for the singular female “ballerina”.
There are no other words, in Italian, to describe those artists that use their body to express something in music, except the word “danzatore” (female: danzatrice), which is quite outdated.
I read the word “ballerino” (as for “classic dancer”) in different English magazines, so I’m not the only one who erroneously – according to you – uses the word “ballerino” for “male dancer”.
PS: wikipedia is not exactly the most reliable source, but look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballerino
Solveg: Not a pissing contest on the existence of the word “ballerino” in italian nor it’s basic meaning. I was more concerned with dancers being acccorded the titles they have earned. At level that New York City Ballet is performing saying he is merely a “ballerino” is like saying The French Laundry serves food.
Alors, in his case even the word “danseur” is incorrect, because for what I understand he is a chief dancer, thus more like a danseur noble than a mere danseur (that is nothing more than a ballerino). In any case the étoile of the NYC Ballet.
In summary, you can’t call a male dancer “ballerina”, unless he is a woman…