Natalie Portman’s performance in Black Swan cemented her as a force to be reckoned with in the field of acting and even earned her an Oscar, but it nearly destroyed her relationship with her family. Portman was born in Jerusalem to a conservative and religious Jewish family. Avner Hershlag, her father, is a popular fertility doctor and Shelley Stevens, her mother, is a teacher.
Out of respect for her parents, the actress has declined challenging roles such as the main role in Lolita, based on Vladimir Nabokov’s novel. However, when Black Swan came along, she felt it was one she had to pick up, even if it meant being on the outs with her dad due to how the movie would portray her.
Natalie Portman’s dad didn’t speak to her following her role in Black Swan
Natalie Portman’s relationship with her dad suffered significantly, a source told DailyMail after she decided to play the lesbian ballerina Nina Sayers. “Natalie is a very private and dignified person and is often influenced by her father’s approval. This, however, was one role she simply didn’t want to turn down even though she knew it could upset her father.”
The actress had a great relationship with her dad before taking on the controversial role in Black Swan, even turning down projects out of respect for him. But the actress didn’t allow her father’s disapproval to stop her from making the 2009 movie. Nina and Lisa, played by Portman and Mila Kunis, are first rivals but end up becoming friends.
The friends act out a scene in which they kiss and get intimate. According to the insider, Portman’s controversial scene with her friend caused her to no longer speak to her dad. They said, “He still sees her as his baby and always will and thinks showing herself like this is degrading.”
Natalie Portman reconnected with her Dad following the huge success of Black Swan
Despite causing controversy in her family, the movie helped her to meet French dancer Benjamin Millepied. The Thor: Love and Thunder actress announced their engagement shortly after they began dating, and they welcomed their first child, Aleph. By 2011, Portman’s relationship with her had returned to what it was.