This news is… surprising. For several different reasons. Us Weekly (and other outlets) are reporting that Natalie Portman is moving to Paris full-time because her husband, Benjamin Millepied, has gotten a job to be the director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet. This is surprising because A) a lot of us thought he was a Ballet K-Fed who was going to use Natalie’s connections to build a career for himself in Hollywood and B) I never thought Natalie would be the kind of woman who would give up her home (NYC and LA) for her man. Surprise!

Natalie Portman and her family are getting ready to say au revoir to Hollywood. The Black Swan star’s husband, French dancer-choreographer Benjamin Millepied, has been tapped to be the new director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet starting September 2014, the New York Times announces. Millepied, 35, told the paper that he and Portman, 31, will move to the French metropolis for the position with Aleph, their 20-month-old son.

Overcoming current or former members of the company to nab the spot, Millepied replaces Brigitte Lefevre, the director of dance at the Paris Opera since 1995, who is retiring after the 2013-2014 season. “I was surprised, but I felt very quickly that the artistic dialogue between us was an exciting one,” Millepied told the Times of Stéphane Lissner, who will become the Opera’s new artistic director in 2015. “After a while I did feel there was a really good chance I might get the position. Which made my head spin.”

Millepied met Portman on the set of Black Swan in 2009 (he was its choreographer and had a small onscreen role), with the twosome announcing their engagement — and Portman’s pregnancy — in December 2010. Born in Bordeaux, France, the handsome dad became a star dancer with the City Ballet in 2002.

With Portman giving birth to Aleph in June 2011, Millepied retired from the stage that same year, founding the L.A. Dance Project — a small, experimental troupe — in 2012. (Millepied told the Times he hopes the troupe will continue after his departure.)
He and Portman married at a private home in Big Sur, Calif. on Aug. 4 of last year, with the movie star wearing an A-line white dress by Rodarte, the label run by Portman’s pals, sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy.

[From Us Weekly]

In the beginning of Benjamin and Natalie’s relationship, there were a number of (bitchy) reports about Benjamin’s talents – sources claimed that his real gift was for self-promotion and raising money for the New York City Ballet rather than, you know, actual ballet. Over the past few years, there have been various reports on Natalie and Benjamin’s arguments about where they were going to build a home, based on her career and his, and for a moment it seemed like Benjamin was going to give up dancing to be a stay-at-home dad. I guess not!

Here’s my question though – do you think Benjamin is only going to sign on year by year? Or is this an open-ended position which could have the family permanently relocated in Paris?

Some photos of Natalie earlier this week:

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied got married in Big Sur on Saturday. Apparently, it was a pretty traditional Jewish wedding, although some of you took issue with Natalie for being a “cafeteria Jew” (like cafeteria Catholic, I suppose), picking and choosing what she believed in as far as her Jewish faith. What I found surprising were the little things – I didn’t know Jewish weddings could go down on the Sabbath. I didn’t know you could have a traditional Jewish wedding outside of the temple. And I thought traditional Jewish brides had to be more covered up than Natalie was – The Mail has some photos of Natalie in her Rodarte wedding gown, and you can see them here. Her arms are covered (in transparent white), but the dress is a tea-length A-line. Is that allowed?! Besides all of that, Natalie’s wedding sounds okay. The only food was vegan, though. Ugh.

The wedding between Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied reflected not just the bride’s Jewish faith and the groom’s French nationality, but also the couple’s outlook on the world.

Instead of having flowers flown in, the ceremony featured wildflowers indigenous to the Big Sur coast where the ceremony took place, and instead of “fish or steak” the menu was strictly vegan in keeping with the bride’s diet.

Portman, 31, chose a traditional white gown from Rodarte, the same house that made the purple dress that Portman wore to the 2010 Oscars, and wore a crown of white wildflowers in her hair. The groom, 35, wore a midnight blue tux.

The 45-minute ceremony, said to be designed and coordinated by LA-based wedding planers Yifat Oren and Stefanie Cove, took place on a bluff overlooking the ocean and under a rustic Jewish chuppah made of twigs. They were surrounded by family (including 14-month-old son Aleph and friends, including Ivanka Trump and Macaulay Culkin,

During the ceremony, the couple were wrapped in a tallits, a Jewish prayer shawl, and in keeping with custom, things ended with Millepied smashing a glass to shouts of “Mazel Tov!”

The reception was held under a tent at a private residence, and featured a Klezmer band. The newly married couple kicked the dancing off with a 20-minute hora dance before being lifted up in chairs by guests.

Eschewing the traditional wedding cake, the couple opted for French macaroons.

When things wrapped up around 2 a.m., the approximately 100 guests took home packets of wildflower seeds as party favors. The packets were inscribed with a single word: “Merci.”

[From People]

Aw, I like that they did the breaking of the glass (update by CB: it’s symbolic of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70AD). And they danced the hora! YAY. Thoughts on the lack of a wedding cake? Thoughts on the macaroons and the “gift” of wildflower seeds? Eh. I don’t have an issue with macaroons… but she should have had a cake as well! Why even get married if you’re not going to have a wedding cake? That’s, like, one of the few reasons to get married. THE CAKE.

Let’s see, other details… a source told In Touch Weekly, “Her dress was stunning, not overly showy or revealing. Very much her own subtle and pretty personal style – she always has a hippie theme, whatever she does.” Um, really? Natalie is a hippie? When did that happen? Some of the guests: Diane Sawyer and her husband Mike Nichols (Nichols directed Portman in Closer), Ivanka Trump, Macaulay Culkin and Rashida Jones. Which sounds like the guest list was chosen by picking named out of a hat. I wonder if any of Benjamin’s ballet friends were even invited? Hm.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I’m writing this because I just can’t watch any more of the Roger Federer-Andy Murray gold medal match, which should be over at any moment because Federer is just… my God, what is happening to Federer? He beat Murray at Wimbledon just a few weeks ago and now Federer is just playing like… GAH. Is it simply that everyone in Britain is just Team Murray? Anyway… Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millpied have gotten married. It’s surprising because there have been rumors floating around for more than a year that Benjamin and Natalie were already married in a quiet, secretive ceremony before she even gave birth to baby Aleph last year. So… I guess this is official now.

Mazel tov! Six months after very quietly debuting wedding bands at the 2012 Oscars, Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied exchanged marital vows in a Jewish ceremony at a private home near Big Sur, Calif., Us Weekly can exclusively confirm. The 8pm wedding took place beneath a chuppah–and in the dark! No other details were immediately available.

The Oscar-winning actress, 31, and French-born dancer-choreographer Millepied, 35, are parents to a 13-month-old son, Aleph.

After meeting on the set of 2010′s Black Swan (Millepied was choreographer and had a small role in the film that won Portman a Best Actress Oscar), the stunning couple announced their engagement and pregnancy in December 2010. (A set source told Us it was “seductive to watch” to couple fall fall for one another . . . There was no way the attraction could be missed.)

During her acceptance speech in February 2011, an emotional Portman called Millepied “my beautiful love,” and thanked him for giving her “the most important role of my life [motherhood].” Aleph was born that June.

The couple returned to the Academy Awards in February of this year and, amidst affectionate red carpet shots together, sported apparent wedding bands. Although the resolutely private couple wouldn’t comment, jeweler Jamie Wolf confirmed to Us: “I designed the rings worn by Benjamin Millepied and Natalie Portman . . . They were made with recycled platinum and conflict free diamonds.”

[From Us Weekly]

I love Jewish weddings. I think the traditions are so lovely. I would love to have a wedding with a chuppah and the wine and breaking of the glass and all of that. As for Natalie and Benjamin… it sounds nice. It sounds like they went pretty traditional – her traditions. Because I have no idea what Benjamin is, religion-wise. It’s interesting that there’s still so much confusion as to whether they actually had some kind of wedding ceremony last year too – they might have, you know. This could have been like they’re “real wedding” after a quickie wedding last year.

UPDATE:… And Andy Murrary just won, by the way. Congrats to Andy Murrary, Olympic Gold Medalist.

UPDATE: People Mag confirms – Natalie and Benjamin were married yesterday. I didn’t think you were allowed to have a traditional Jewish wedding on the Sabbath, but apparently it’s allowed. Oh, and Ivanka Trump was at the wedding. WTF?

Photos courtesy of PCN, WENN.

Why is it so dead today? The Olympics? I guess so. And although I would love to analyze every little detail about the gymnastics qualifications (!!!) or the men’s relay getting silver (!!!), we don’t have a lot of those photos, nor do I have the necessary brainpower to really discuss anything athlete beyond, “OMG, the judges should have scored higher” or “STICK IT!!!” Thus, I’m covering these photos of Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied at LAX yesterday.

Benjamin, Natalie, baby Aleph and puppy Whiz made their way from NYC to LA yesterday, and it always fascinating who gets to hold what. I’m assuming Natalie is carrying her own bag (is that her carry-on?), and Natalie’s puppy Whiz is totally fine with paparazzi taking his photo while he’s out with his mom. Whiz totally looks like a really well-behaved puppy too. Especially when you consider the fact that he JUST got off of a long flight. My puppy would be peeing on a flight attendant.

Anyway, Benjamin got to carry their son Aleph. I like when I see a dude with one of those carrier things – and Benjamin looks pretty collected as he deals with the paparazzi trying to take his son’s photos.

Which brings me to this other photo set from June, which I never got around to publishing – Natalie, Benjamin and Aleph were photographed taking a walk with Natalie’s dad. The interesting thing is that you can really see Aleph’s face and hair in these photos and… this baby is totally a ginger, right? Is that weird? Is it weird that Aleph looks the dream baby I imagined for Adele and Prince Harry? Is it weird that Aleph doesn’t really look like either of his parents? He’s a really cute baby, but I’m just saying – did Natalie secretly bone Michael Fassbender or something? There’s an epidemic of ginger babies with non-ginger “parents” lately. Maybe Fassbender’s to blame. Maybe Prince Harry. Maybe Carrot Top. And YES, I know about the Darren Aronofsky paternity conspiracy – but Aronofsky isn’t a ginger, you know?

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied attended the New York City Ballet Spring Gala last night. I think they were probably the “headliners” of the event. Benjamin and Natalie have walked red carpets together before this – there were some photos of them together during the 2011 awards season, and Natalie was happy to pose with Ben at the Oscars this year too. But! This is the first time where I feel like they’re really into it, like, “Look at us, we’re a couple! This is for real.” Maybe it’s because the event is for ballet, and Benjamin is very engaged with that? Whatever, they look cute together. I’m just noticing how tiny Benjamin is though – Natalie is super-petite, and Benjamin is barely taller than her.

Natalie’s dress is Christian Dior, by the way. I think Dior was one of the sponsors of this “A La Francaise” spring gala event. Thoughts on her dress? It’s a pretty color. I’m not a huge fan of the tiered skirt, though. I like that her hair is slightly messy but it’s still a pulled-together “look”.

And here are some photos of Drew Barrymore and her baby-daddy at the event too. Yes, this guy TOTALLY looks like Jessica Simpson’s baby-daddy. I don’t think this guy has much of a career either, but the difference is that this guy comes from family money. And now Drew is trying to be all “lady of the manor” about it. Sure. I wish her well. Of all of the maternity gowns, though, she chose this?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

In the post-game analysis of the Oscars, several media outlets picked up on the fact that Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied seemed to be wearing wedding bands when they walked the Oscar red carpet. Benjamin and Natalie had been very quiet about their relationship – I think Natalie’s only public statements about all of it were in the form of the pregnancy announcement in 2010 and her acceptance speeches during all of the awards shows last year. When Natalie gave birth to little Aleph, I actually thought to myself, “Hunh. I bet they got married very quietly because Natalie seems like the kind of girl who doesn’t want to give birth ‘out of wedlock’.” Still, there was never a confirmation until everyone picked up on the “wedding bands” thing. And now Natalie’s jeweler is speaking – and confirming the secret marriage?

While Natalie Portman remains mum on the status of her nuptials, she’s continuing to let her wedding rings speak for themselves.

The actress was spotted out and about in Los Angeles Wednesday sporting her dazzling engagement ring plus two platinum bands sandwiching the bauble.

The actress, 30, and her beau Benjamin Millepied, 34, caused a stir when they quietly debuted their wedding bands at Sunday’s Oscars — despite there being zero mention of a wedding for the couple, who announced they were engaged and expecting a child in December 2010.

On Tuesday, jeweler Jamie Wolf confirmed to Us Weekly that she was the designer behind the pair’s wedding bands.

Jewelry expert Michael O’Connor describes Portman’s new dazzling addition to Us: “In the 60′s and 70′s it was much more common to have two platinum wedding bands, one on either side of the engagement ring, so this style is more retro — making it an appropriate debut with Natalie’s vintage dress at the Academy Awards! Estimated price tag is $20,000 total for both of her bands.”

No further details on when or where the actress and dancer-choreographer tied the knot. Portman’s manager did not reply to requests for comment from Us. The pair fell in love while making Black Swan in 2010; they welcomed son Aleph in June of last year.

[From Us Weekly]

Is this how it’s done these days? You announce your secret wedding via your jeweler? Anyway, since the Oscars, Natalie has been photographed several times in LA, and in every photo set, she’s still wearing the “wedding band” plus a nice-sized diamond ring. Yeah… I think they’re married. Do you think she got a pre-nup? I used to think she was so smart and worldly, but if she got hitched to her Ballet K-Fed without a prenup, I’ll have some concerns.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Every outlet is now running stories about this, and I really don’t know why. There’s a rumor going around that Natalie Portman and her Ballet K-Fed, Benjamin Millepied, were wearing wedding bands two nights ago at the Oscars. Who here would be shocked and appalled that Natalie and Ben might have gotten married secretly? Seriously, who? Natalie keeps her private life locked down in large part, playing an enviably clever game of “privacy” and private-life accessibility. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Natalie and Ben are married. It wouldn’t surprise me if Natalie and Ben got married before little Aleph was even born last year.

Did Natalie Portman slyly reveal big news before more than 1 billion TV viewers? On Sunday night’s 84th Academy Awards, the actress appeared to be wearing a wedding ring set as she clutched an envelope onstage.

And her French fiancé, Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied, was photographed with a band on his wedding finger.

Was there a secret wedding? That remains a mystery for now, as the Oscar winner’s rep hasn’t commented.

Portman, 30, announced in December 2010 that she and Millepied were quietly engaged and that they were expecting a child. PEOPLE confirmed last June that they had welcomed a son, Aleph.

[From People]

I’ve been looking through the Oscar photos, and it seems like Natalie was making a game of it with photographers, sometimes purposefully hiding her ring finger behind her back, sometimes gratuitously flashing her ring with a sly smile. So… yeah, I believe it. They’re married. Kudos to them for doing it quietly and keeping it so quiet for so long (I’m assuming it happened a while ago). But I still have my doubts as to whether this is the smartest match for Natalie in the long run. I still think Benjamin seems like a user and a starf–ker.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Last night at the Golden Globes, Natalie Portman made her first red carpet appearance since giving birth to baby Aleph. Natalie had her boyfriend/lover/fiancé/baby-daddy with her (I don’t know what to call him at this point), Benjamin Millepied. We haven’t seen or heard much about Benjamin in a while – I’ve read some stories about him giving up his New York ballet lifestyle to move to LA with Natalie and pursue a Hollywood career. Whatever is going on with him, his hair has improved a great deal since last year’s awards season, where he appeared to be wearing a series of pompadour wiglets. So… Benjamin looked nice.

As for Natalie, her dress is Lanvin. I know it’s syrupy and she could have easily looked like a walking bottle of Pepto-Bismal, but I kind of like the dress. The hot pink with the red accent on the bust is interesting and flattering to Natalie’s coloring. She wanted to keep it about the dress too, wearing simple earrings, a bracelet and some rings, styled with great makeup and a simple hairstyle. My only problem is the weird one-sided hip-bustle. It was noticeable when Natalie presented Best Actor – it didn’t even look like part of the dress, really. It was like something weird got caught up in the dress, although I’m sure that was just the Lanvin design. It still would have been an interesting dress without the bustle, I’m just sayin’.

Photos courtesy of Fame, WENN.

When Natalie Portman was preggo with baby Aleph, the tabloids began running a series of stories about how sketchy her fiancé/baby-daddy was and is. According to some sources, Benjamin Millepied is simply with Natalie because he’s a famewhore who wanted to launch himself to greater wealth and new platforms (film, television, etc). Some said he was just a user, a starf–ker, or “the ballet K-Fed”. None of that seemed to concern Natalie – she stuck with him, and ever since giving birth, she and Benjamin have kept a low profile. They’ve also moved from NYC (where Natalie gave birth) to LA. So what happened to Benjamin’s position at the New York City Ballet? Allegedly, he’s quit. He’s now decided to be a stay-at-home dad so that Natalie can “focus on her career.”

Natalie Portman’s fiancé, Benjamin Millepied, is hanging up his dancing shoes – to be a stay-at-home-dad! Benjamin, 34, is one of ballet’s most in-demand choreographers, but since 30-year-old Natalie gave birth to the couple’s son, Aleph, in June, his priorities have changed.

“Benjamin retired from his position at the New York City Ballet so Natalie could get back to her career,” a source tells In Touch. “He wants to support her.”

The source says that Benjamin thought it would be hard to give 5-month-old Aleph the attention he needs with two super-busy working parents. And with Natalie ready to work again, it was up to Benjamin to take over daddy duty.

“He understood that one of them was going to have to make a sacrifice, so he gave in.” Now that’s love!

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

I don’t think it’s sketchy that any man would want to take a step back from his career to focus on fatherhood – I think it’s a sign of evolved parenting, and a great and wonderful thing that more dads want to be involved in their kids’ lives in a big way. That being said, is there something sketchy here? The move to LA, Benjamin quitting the ballet, Natalie getting back to work…? I feel like there’s something else to this story. I feel like Benjamin is choosing to be a “stay-at-home dad” as a calculation so he can launch himself as a director/choreographer in Hollywood. And will Natalie help him along? I don’t know. This relationship was and continues to be baffling.

Photos courtesy of WENN & Fame.

Ah, Ballet K-Fed. I’ve missed him! I haven’t written about Benjamin Millepied in forever! That was smart of him – he must have went away for a little while, kept his head down and stayed out of the spotlight. Smart. Best not to look overly eager or like you’re thoroughly enjoying your new-found celebrity. These are photos of Benjamin and Natalie Portman going for a run in Los Feliz yesterday. They must have moved out of NYC and transplanted to LA at some point, and surprisingly, they seem to be getting pap’d quite a lot in LA. Usually, the photos are so exclusive there’s no way that we can get them, but these running photos came out and we have access to them, so huzzah! If you’d like to see the most recent (blurry) pics of Natalie, Benjamin and baby Aleph, go here.

I like Natalie is out running and she looks like she hasn’t lost all of the baby weight – she’s lost almost all of it, don’t get me wrong. But she looks soft and like those last ten pounds are difficult to lose, and I like that. I like that Natalie won’t get to be “Oh, I lost the weight so easily, everything about motherhood is a dream, from the conception to every simper and pout of my child, you can have this life too!” No, those last ten pounds are putting up a fight, God bless them.

Do you think Natalie and Benjamin will ever end up getting married? Or was the engagement just a PR ploy for her Oscar campaign? We’ll see, won’t we?

Photos courtesy of Fame.