She’s an Academy and Golden Globe award winning actress.
Yet Natalie Portman’s experiences in Hollywood have not always been rosy, she has revealed to Porter Magazine in their latest issue.
The 36-year-old Black Swan star has admitted she has ‘100 stories’ of being sexually harassed in Hollywood, and that she only realised this in light of the recent Time’s Up and #MeToo initiatives.
‘It was unacceptable, manipulative and I was scared!’ Natalie Portman has revealed that she has ‘100 stories’ of being sexually harassed in Hollywood
The brunette star admitted: ‘I went from thinking, “I don’t have a story” to “Oh, wait, I have 100 stories.”
‘And I think a lot of people are having these reckonings with themselves, of things that we just took for granted as like, this is part of the process.’
Recounting one particular incident with an unnamed producer on his private plane, she said: ‘It was just the two of us, and only one bed was made up. Nothing happened, I was not assaulted. I did make a point of saying, “This does not make me feel comfortable,” and that was respected.
Epiphany: The 36-year-old Black Swan star has admitted she has ‘100 stories’ of being sexually harassed in Hollywood, and that she only realised this in light of the recent Time’s Up and #MeToo initiatives
100 stories: The brunette star admitted ‘I went from thinking, “I don’t have a story” to “Oh, wait, I have 100 stories”‘
‘But that was super not okay, you know? That was really unacceptable and manipulative. I was scared.’
She went on: ‘A lot of people have been speaking out for a long time and not been heard, particularly women of colour, so it’s very important the industry listens.’
The mother-of-two – who has children Aleph, six, and Amalia, 11 months, with husband Benjamin Millepied – reflected on the issue surrounding women in Hollywood, and the fact that they natually take time off from work to have children.
Film star mum: The mother-of-two has children Aleph, six, and Amalia, 11 months, with husband Benjamin Millepied
On the topic of motherhood: The Death and Life of John F. Donovan actress said ‘I feel energized and I also feel a little bit like a crazy person’
‘What’s interesting about this harassment conversation is, maybe it has nothing to do with being a mother,’ Natalie mused. ‘Maybe women are dropping out of the workplace because it’s a hostile environment for them and they are choosing not to be a part of that.
Full interview: The chat features in the latest issue of PORTER, on sale globally on Feb 9
‘It’s been proven that once you change the power differential and reach a 50/50 ratio of men and women, you see fewer issues.’
On the topic of motherhood, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan actress – whose youngest child will be one this month – told the magazine: ‘I feel energized and I also feel a little bit like a crazy person. I keep sending emails to the wrong person.
‘I feel really inept, but so far it hasn’t been that embarrassing because it hasn’t been anything terribly important.’
To see the full interview, buy the latest issue of PORTER, on sale globally on Friday 9 February, 2018. Also available as a Digital Edition, or at this link.