Natalie Portman is excited to move to Paris: ‘Paris is getting better for vegans’

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Here are some photos from Natalie Portman’s new Marie Claire cover shoot. She covers the November issue and… this is far from her best editorial, right? I feel like they lightened her skin? Everything looks like p0rn lighting. Anyway, this is just a preview – Marie Claire hasn’t released the interview yet. I guess she’s just promoting Thor: The Dark Loki. She already covered the latest issue of Elle UK (with an interview by Tom Hiddleston).

You know that Natalie and her family are moving to Paris in short order, right? I think they’ve spent much of the past year splitting their time between LA and New York, plus whatever locations Natalie has been for work, but now Benjamin Millepied got a job as “the director of dance” at the Paris Opera Ballet so Natalie is going to be very French very soon. She’s excited too, saying: “Yes and we’re very excited. My husband has made me director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet and starts next year. I love Paris. I’ve worked there for a few months at a time, but neither of us ever lived there before – my husband is from Bordeaux. It’s everyone’s dream to live in Paris at least for a while, so there is a wonderful opportunity for us.”

Natalie is also really excited about what the Paris move will mean for her vegetarian and vegan diet. She recently said: “I’ve been vegetarian since I was nine and vegan on and off. At the moment we live in Los Angeles near Thai Town so we eat a lot of good vegan Thai food and there are also great pasta places nearby – a good pasta is probably my favorite dish. Paris is getting better for vegans – you can get anything there if you know where to look.” Huh. Is Paris really a paradise for vegetarians? All that bread and cheese, for sure. I would imagine that Paris is hard on vegans though, right?

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Photos courtesy of Fashion Scans Remastered, Marie Claire.

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100 Responses to “Natalie Portman is excited to move to Paris: ‘Paris is getting better for vegans’”

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  1. Elodie says:

    Well, unless she hangs out mostly in the 4th, 10th and 11th districts where all them hipsters get their precious veggie food, French people love their meat, cheese, coffee and ciggies alright.

    • HH says:

      I would imagine one of the best parts about living in Paris would be enjoying the food.

      • olaf78 says:

        Not a vegan, but I think they too enjoy their food.

        Just came here to say I find this woman insufferable.
        Hypocritical, unprincipled and largely arrogant.

    • V4Real says:

      Dear good people of Paris,
      Merci beaucoup for taking this insufferable woman off our hands. Now if you would only take Goop as well.

      • Elodie says:

        *gasps* we UK people are suffering enough with Mrs Coldplay so I wouldn’t mind if she went back to where she belongs…

      • ag-UK says:

        @Elodie hasn’t Goopy already left here (UK)? Isn’t she in LA now riding her scooter with police escorts LOL

    • Oops says:

      absolument, and ( it’s cliché but a little true ) some wine 🙂

    • Jiji says:

      I’m from Paris.

      Vegan would definitely be difficult (hard to find something without butter), but vegetarian is completely doable. No hardship at all, pretty much everywhere.
      I don’t eat meat when I go out (traumatism from my past, nasty food poisoning), and I never felt it was difficult to sustain.

      This said, it will be funny when she starts complaining about the French paparazzi – they’re still ok everywhere else, but the Parisian ones are starting to act like in LA.

      • swack says:

        Also, cheese is made from milk and don’t vegans avoid not only meat and fish but also any products from them like eggs, butter, milk, cheese, etc?

    • lafrenchy says:

      @Elodie:

      This is exactly where she hangs out as I saw her at “Rose Bakery” rue du Belleyne having lunch;)

      As a semi vegetarian myself (still eat seafood) I can say that it is indeed getting better for vegetarians, it’s quite easy to eat everywhere a tasty food while being vegetarian but if you are vegan it’s a very different story (no cream, no cheese, and no milk is quite impossible with french food!) it’s hard outside the Yoga-vegan- hipster zone you perfectly have delimited lol! 😉

      L

  2. T.fanty says:

    Yeah, French cuisine HATES dairy. I’ve heard they particularly hate butter in their dishes.

    • RocketMerry says:

      AH! Love it.

      Aaand now I’m craving a nice, big steak with buttery sauce and some rich, decadent dessert made of eggs, sugar, butter and little else. Thanks a lot, T.fanty.

    • Anna says:

      Yum. France is calling.
      PS – merci pour les compliments de mon oeuvre!

    • Jaded says:

      Last night I cooked dinner for some galpals as it was my birthday. On the menu: lobster salad in a half avocado as the appetizer; beef bourgignon, mashed squash and potato with loads of parmesan cheese, butter and cream; spinach salad with goat cheese and dried cranberries; crème brulee. All accompanied by lots and lots of wonderful wine.

      So bite me Portman – you don’t find meat-eaters running off at the mouth about the way they eat and dissing a city for its culinary preferences.

      • Anna says:

        Happy Birthday! Also – Any leftovers? Cause I’m on my way!

      • NYC_girl says:

        Sounds completely delicious, every dish. I wish I was in Paris right now eating a steak with blue cheese melted on top of it and a crunchy baguette slathered in butter. For dessert I’d have one of those sandwiches you can buy on street with ham and butter and cheese.

  3. Hannah says:

    Natalie Portman “sexier than ever”? Has she ever been sexy? Don’t get me wrong, she’s beautiful, intelligent, great actress. But sexy? Just me?

    • QQ says:

      Maybe in that Closer movie?

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      I don’t find “blow job” face sexy so if sexy is what she’s going for in these pics then she needs to try again.

    • Ag says:

      Yeah. She def doesn’t project sexy. I’m sure she’s other things, but sexy isn’t one of them.

    • JJ says:

      Nothing sexy about her.
      I bet Parisians can spot a -try hard to be sophisticated American- from miles away. Vegan, yeah people love to EAT there, LOL.

    • Kosmos says:

      No..she’s definitely not sexy. In fact, without the help of makeup artists and fashion designers, she normally looks very plain, dresses in well, a very dowdy kind of way, and her hair is usually pulled back and unkempt and no makeup. In her earlier movies and in photos of her in everyday life, she definitely would not turn a head. But she can be made up to look very pretty. On her own, her clothes choices are rather drab and definitely there’s nothing sexy going on.

  4. Lindy79 says:

    Oh Bore off!

    Edit: I have never dreamed about living in Paris so she can feck off with her dead eyes, speaking for the entire world.

  5. nico says:

    Her face really looks hard in that second picture.

    Natalie could be Eva Mendes twin.

  6. aims says:

    I love that middle picture, with the white and blue dress.

  7. *Laowai* says:

    So, the self-appointed spokeswoman for the vegan cause is still running her mouth with nonstop commentary about her diet. After dropping veganism because it was too hard for her to have to go to a vegan bakery for cookies…in San Francisco. How I was not missing this woman during her hiatus…

  8. Not says:

    Nooooooo,not Europe.Stay away..

  9. Patricia says:

    I’m glad she’s a vegan and speaks freely about it. Sure she has put her foot in her mouth but she’s only human, her heart is in the right place for the animals. In this world of factory farming and the treatment of animals that is not only inhuman but downright profane we need people to show that there are other options, this is a good way for her to use her fame to set an example. If people are concerned about animals they can look into it. She puts it out there, is all I’m saying, and I’m glad.

    • mercy says:

      +1

      Reading about corporate farming practises and meat processing plants turned me off meat for good. I can’t do 100% vegan, but meat hasn’t been that hard to give up.

      • mar says:

        FACTORY FARMING IS KILLING OUR PLANET! not to mention the level of cruelty that goes with it. Pigs lay in gestation crates their entire lives so you can eat bacon.
        I am a vegetarian and I am slowly weeding out dairy. Corporate America wants you to buy meat and dairy, because it is big business. We do not need meat or dairy, we are brainwashed to think we do. There are so many veggies and beans that have more protein then beef or chicken.
        Plant based diets are the best way to go and good for the environment , and the animals.

    • Isan says:

      +2
      As a veggie I applaud her for speaking about this, hopefully it will inspire others to look into where and how meat ends up on their plates. Maybe they will want to make an informed, animal friendly choice after that.

      I have no idea about Paris getting better for vegans tough, but I’m sure she will get by.

      • Jenna says:

        +3

        As another vego I like it any time someone speaks out/advocates vegetarianism/veganism. I hate that people are so normalised with the meat industry these days and so casual about the treatment of both animals and our planet for us to have something that is only really useful for vitamin b12 (from which we can supplement or get from eggs etc, as well as truly organic grown produce in unspoilt areas). Red meat has been linked to cancers, dementia etc.

        I dare anyone to walk through a factory farm and still feel like eating – anything, ever again, let alone meat. I personally never liked the thought/taste of meat from about 8 or so? Somewhere around there. Could never get past the idea of a dead animal on my plate, but watching a few factory videos later on made me even more adamant.

        I’ll stop before I get too preachy, but so many people are so ignorant. Vegan/vego numbers are mostly made up by well educated people, so that says a lot I think.

    • themummy says:

      Except she’s not vegan. She’s vegan when it suits her, but vegetarian most of the time. She’s discussed this many, many times. I find her speaking out on veganism to be hypocritical because of this (and yes, I’m vegan, so maybe I find it more hypocritical than most would).

    • Tara says:

      +1000 and thanks for saying it, Patricia.

  10. Ellie66 says:

    My grandmother used to tell me when I was sick or it was period time to eat a steak I look pale, my blood needed vitamins, i think Natalie needs to follow this advice. 🙂 (and it always worked) thanks Grandma! 😀

  11. Layale says:

    She looks ill in those pictures.

  12. TherapyCranes says:

    I’ve.. never wanted to live in Paris.

  13. canadiangirl says:

    I find her to be pretentious

  14. Norman Bates' Mother says:

    I don’t understand how that’s even an issue for her – she could live in a small town anywhere in Europe and still be able to eat vegan food everyday and it’s Paris we’re talking about. Every place can be good for vegans as long as they cook for themselves. It’s usually not a problem to buy fruit, vegetables, pasta, some couscous/grits/grains etc. and other vegan food, even in the small town. Usually the only issue are prices, but she doesn’t have to worry about that. She would have to make some effort instead of looking for fancy vegan restaurants on every corner but she can also afford to hire a vegan chef.

    • pastagirl says:

      She wants to look like a Parisienne (I don’t know what she thinks Paris is but it’s just a normal city) but she just looks stupid

    • bsh says:

      You said it right. “IF you cook for yourself”.. something she has probably rarely done in her privileged life.

    • Andrea says:

      Exactly, you can even do it here in alberta…

  15. MisJes says:

    This woman is completely insufferable. Her pretension, superiority and vanity knows no bounds. Not to mention, she is as boring as f-k.

    I hope she drops off the radar in Paris and we never hear from her again.

  16. Florc says:

    She has that empty looking slit between her lips. Julia Roberts does too. That always bothered me
    She’s still trying to look like a young girl on her photos. She never strikes me as strong, but fragile and miniature. Her level of pretentiousness is sure to sky rocket after a few weeks in France. God help you celebitches living there.

  17. Ellen says:

    Someone messed up and used the Keira Knightley filter on that photo with the blue dress….

  18. lambchops says:

    Paris is many things but it is not kind to vegetarians so vegans are even harder done by.

  19. irishserra says:

    I wonder what her reasons for her dietary choices are. I totally respect the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles (my daughter is a vegetarian) but I can’t imagine having pasta as my primary source of food (to be fair, I just don’t handle it very well.)

    • Emily C. says:

      Pasta’s only one’s primary source of food if you just cut meat from a more average American diet and don’t actually change your diet — and that’s unhealthy, because one isn’t getting enough protein, vitamins, fiber, etc. There are many different cultures with menus not nearly as dependent on meat. There is a lot of Chinese food based around bean curd, for instance. Also lots of good vegetarian cookbooks: Moosewood and most of Molly Katzen’s cookbooks as a start.

    • themummy says:

      I’m vegan and I haven’t had pasta in years. I don’t like it. Why would that be a staple of a vegan’s diet? Here’s what I ate yesterday, for example:

      Baked apple cinnamon oatmeal (oats, almond milk, 2 packets stevia, chopped apple, cinnamon, a little wheat germ, some vegetable protein powder, chia seeds)

      Organic Soy latte (I try to stick to a size small every few days so as to a moderate soy intake…usually I drink herbal tea)

      Falafel wrap (soft flatbread, homemade falafel made w chickpeas, Annie’s Green Goddess dressing mixed w tahini, tomatoes, lettuce)

      Salad (romaine, spinach, black beans, croutons, tomato, cucumber, sunflower seeds, bacos, carrots, dijon dressing, and I think I’m forgetting a few things)

      Homemade pizza: sweet tomato sauce, seitan “pepperoni style,” thinly sliced green peppers, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, herb-infused olive oil, and a sprinkle of Daiya vegan cheese…I don’t usually like vegan cheese too much, but I was in the mood…

      Dessert: Brownie (I used a Duncan Hines mix, but in place of the egg I used Energy egg replacer, 1T cocoa powder, 3T flour, 1/2t baking powder, and 1.5g cornstarch)

      So, yeah, no pasta for me. Yuck. Slimy mess that stuff is.

      The day before I had seitan fajitas for dinner. I eat plenty of “real” food. And it’s delicious!

      • Pandy says:

        I have switched from a vegan to a vegetarian diet recently – mostly for convenience and to accommodate my somewhat lazy approach to cooking. Your food diary makes me rethink. Sounds delish.

      • Florc says:

        Themummy
        It’s not a staple in your diet, but it is in other vegan diets. Some people do like pasta. You don’t so it’s not a staple.

        Your meals do sound yummy, but I burn through about 1500 to 1800 cals a day with exercise. I wouldn’t survive on your diet without supplementing meal replacements and protein shakes more often than once a day. And those shakes are never good after the 1st few gulps…

      • Bridget says:

        Portman just namechecked pasta, that’s why people are referencing it.

      • Tara says:

        Yum!!!

    • Jaded says:

      There are some wonderful pastas made of brown rice and chick pea flours, and I recently tried one made from spelt flour – delicious and very nutritious, much better for you than basic white flour pasta.

  20. Tania says:

    I feel like the make up person really didn’t do her any favours. I dislike the way they shadowed her eyes and contoured her face. It is harsh and drab. I’ve seen corpses have better colour than her. She looks positively ill.

    • Florc says:

      She doesn’t always look like this? Unless it’s a Dior ad I thought she always looks heavily shaded to look more skeletal.

  21. Ag says:

    Paris – the people of America apologize to you in advance.

  22. Tania says:

    Oh, I forgot to add. She looks botoxed. She never has, but she does now.

  23. Dawn says:

    She is very photogenic! As for Paris, she is so lucky to be able to move there. I love all of France and would love to be able to afford to live there but I am too poor. Soon won’t Kanye West be living up to his promise to take Kimmode and the little one to live there as well? Please make it happen.

    • mia says:

      I’ve lived in France. Before I moved I thought it would be for good. Then I was glad when I was back home. The French tend to make it hard on you. At least that’s my experience. I wonder if Natalie Portman will have an easier time once she moves permanently and her husband starts working long hours…

      • Egla says:

        I visited Paris recently. I have studied french for 4 years and i was soooo glad finally to visit my dream city and talk some french. My friend was like: “Yes no problems there with my translater with me.” BUT as we arrived there as soon as they realised i wasn’t a native speaker…..enlgish all the way with a smirky face looking at me. I was very upset…and they were cheap on sugar….and i eat bread with salami and cheese and butter…and when i returned home i eat all the dishes my mother cooked for me with meat, of course and ipromissed myself next time to go somwhere else where my speaking is accepted…like Italy…not snob at all …Love them and their food pasta included

      • *Laowai* says:

        Egla–that’s actually the reason I didn’t bother to learn French. It must be so disheartening to put so much effort into learning a language just to be told that, unless you talk like a native, you will never be perfect enough.

  24. doofus says:

    who is that woman in the cover photo who slightly resembles Portman?

    is that a Portman/Hargitay hybrid?!

  25. smee says:

    ITA – it doesn’t look a whole lot like Natalie Portman.

  26. lbeees says:

    Anyone else think it’s weird that she never refers to Benjamin by name? It’s always “my husband” this and “my husband” that.

    I can’t think of any other celebrities that do that… but maybe I’m having selective memories? It’s just odd.

    • Spooks says:

      Well, at least she doesn’t refer to him as “this person” like Kanye refers to Kim.

      • Florc says:

        Doesn’t Kanye do that with everyone? They’re all just people and persons because none of them match his genius!

    • LadySlippers says:

      No, when I was married I said ‘my husband’ a lot. Especially in the beginning.

  27. judyjudy says:

    I love her.

  28. Emily C. says:

    You can get anything if you know where to look and are rich. Fixed it for her.

  29. Ghoulish_moose says:

    Have any of the UK peeps seen “My Little Paris Kitchen”? That show makes me want to upsticks and move to a cute little apartment in Paris. With herbs growing in my window box and making cute pies in vintage dresses *sighs*

  30. themummy says:

    I’m vegan and spend a couple months every spring/summer in Paris and it is, in fact, very vegan friendly these days. She’ll have no issues at all. They do love their meat and cheese, but finding vegan food takes almost no effort at all (and GOOD vegan food, at that). Last time I went I even found an all vegan cupcake shop. That was a major score! 🙂

  31. Louise says:

    How can you tell if someone is vegan?

    They’ll tell you

    • Jaded says:

      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • themummy says:

      That’s great and cute and everything, but my parents, in-laws, and siblings didn’t know I was vegan until about 3 years in. I just never brought it up. To this day I only ever bring it up if I absolutely have to–like if I’m going to be in a situation where refusing food or sitting there not eating could be uncomfortable (like Thanksgiving, and even then I usually just quietly choose from the vegan foods that are there). Even then, I usually just bring my own food and cite “allergies.” So not all vegans are like that at all. I hate the bad rap we all have. Funnily enough I find carnivores LOVE to tell me how much they LOVE meat and how they’ll eat extra now just for me. So yeah, I try to never ever mention being vegan (other than in the random online discussion I might get into, which I also usually avoid!).

      • Florc says:

        You are a rare find then! Being an omnivore if i’ve commented to another person about how good meat is it’s at a restaurant telling them how good my meal is. Probably because all the food is good so we’re all complimenting the dishes. I have had random vegans tell me my lifestyle choice is brutal and killing the world. Mostly at the It’s Only Natural smoothie bar. They will announce the meat i’m carrying is a sign i’m a bad person. So it goes both ways.

        Some are holier than thou with veganism. Some Omnivores (because I doubt they live only on meat) are truly shocked others don’t eat meat and won’t eat… say bacon. And some people like yourself do not advertise their food choices or fib and say it’s an allergy to maybe avoid confrontation. People just need to learn to not push your unsolicited beliefs on other’s food choices.

      • Tara says:

        Exactly. And how do you know people just LUUUUUV their carcass? They’ll tell you.

    • Ghoulish_moose says:

      Ba-dum-tish!! =D

  32. manta says:

    Whether Paris is friendly to vegans in general won’t affect her at all.
    Vegeterians have been living in Paris for decades, and since she tells she’s a vegan on and off, let me guess, her time in France might be an off phase.Problem solved.
    Or just tell the staff what to buy, what to cook, I’m sure, even in such a remote town like Paris they’ll find it. No need to ship it from LA.Same thing in restaurants. Since when a wealthy celeb in a posh place had trouble having her every desired catered to?

  33. Fan says:

    Still my favorite.

  34. moon says:

    I lived in Paris last year, just moved out to NYC. It’s not that easy being a vegetarian if you plan to eat out – most restaurants only have one vegetarian option and it usually comes with cheese. And the only people I knew who ordered the vegetarian options were the americans.

    • Michele says:

      The word “Americans” is capitalized if you can manage it.

    • Mel says:

      That may have been because the local vegetarians were dining in one of the quite-a-few very good dedicated vegetarian restaurants in Paris.
      (I am a vegetarian myself, so I know they are there.)

  35. Mel says:

    Huh? As a European, I would’ve thought there is hardly any town of decent size anywhere in Europe where you cannot get non-animal products “if you know where to look”.
    I have to wonder, what exactly is she looking for?
    A patisserie that has no honey anywhere on the premises?
    Fruit from trees that haven’t been pollinated by bees? What?
    And how difficult is it to get whatever you cannot find by resorting to the internet?

    Slightly off topic, I am always, every time, surprised by how empty her gaze is.
    I am sure many see it as “seriousness”.
    To me, it looks much more similar to vacuum.

    • *Laowai* says:

      I’m pretty sure that all she is ‘looking for’ is yet another way to let everyone know about her diet in yet another interview.

  36. Eva says:

    Well I assume she will have her own chef to cook her vegan food. She has no clue what she is talking about, The French do love their meat, seafood and cheese thank you very much.
    Also, when she finds out her loser no name balding K fed husband is cheating on her with a 20 year old ballerina, she will leave Paris in no time. Can’t wait for the negtive reviews for how he does a sh-t job at being a director. Then people will know he only got the job due to his famous wife and banging a star. There are other dancers out there with more talent and aren’t lame famewhores like Centipide is. Keep acting like your lame husband is a ‘somebody’ Natalie. He isn’t Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. Like she could land men like that. She could only settle for a gold-digging loser.

    • Linda says:

      Oh ok I get it now. He dumped you for Natalie. Poor baby!!!!!!!

      • Eva says:

        Why do you assume I am the ex-girlfreind? Am I not allowed to voice how he and both Portman are pathtic people? No thanks, Portman can have him. He is not my type and I think he is really gross looking. As is Natalie. She looks like she starves herself for petes sakes. Funny people always trash Britnesy K fed or other spouses/parnter of celebs who got work thru them but no one is allowed to question this loser? Alrighty. Accept that the fact that he got alot of work and became famous because of her. Without Natalie, where would he be? He is not Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise again. Not jealous one bit.

  37. Lucy2 says:

    I’m jealous she gets to live in Paris. I love it there, and think it’s always a great experience to live in a different country/culture for a bit.

  38. Lux says:

    She’s insufferable.

  39. MegG says:

    She’s so rich she can afford a private chief anyway. Not being able to eat full fat/ cream in Paris sounds like hell.

  40. Many says:

    in advance sorry for bad english

    To all the haters :
    I am french and most people I know likes her and are happy she comes in Paris

  41. Yelly says:

    Idk I actually really like her. I think she’s gorgeous.

  42. Amanda says:

    I love her, but as a vegan myself, I don’t see how Paris is better than any other big city for veganism. It’s easy to be vegan almost anywhere nowadays.