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All eyes were on Spanish defender Olga Carmona as she made the triumphant goal that led Spain to defeat England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, including those of Natalie Portman and her estranged husband, Benjamin Millepied.
In images obtained by the Daily Mail, Portman and Millepied were pictured watching La Roja’s win over the Lionesses from a box at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
A star-studded attendance at a sporting match is by no means uncommon (just look at Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman’s Big Little Lies reunion at an Inter Miami CF game in Nashville), but the rare sighting of Portman and Millepied has piqued our interest.
Yes, the same Millepied who allegedly cheated on his wife of 11 years, casually sitting side by side to watch a game of sport. Suddenly, we were just as interested in the proceedings happening on the sidelines as those on the field.
Only several months ago, reports emerged claiming Millepied, a 46-year-old French dancer, had cheated on the May December actress with climate change activist Camille Étienne.
The saga was just another notch in the belt of the summer of breakups, as netizens were dubbing the ‘uncuffing season’. (Other relationships claimed this season include Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson, Bella Hadid and Marc Kalman, and of course, Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez).
After news of the reported affair transpired, conflicting claims came out about the state of their marriage. “They’ve been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs,” revealed US Weekly while Page Six reported they had “separated”.
Nevertheless, Portman was spotted in the harbour-side Australian city in the weeks following the news alone and without her wedding ring. Now, the couple has made their first public appearance together since the reports broke—them, their 12-year-old son Aleph and 83,500 staunch soccer supporters.
With Portman the co-owner of the Los Angeles-based women’s soccer team, Angel City FC, it’s understood why she would be in attendance. (But let’s face it, nearly all of Australia was vying for a ticket to the grand final!)
What’s less understood is why Portman and Millepied chose that location for their rendezvous—and the current status of their relationship, more importantly.
It’s believed that Millepied and their teenage son left the match at halftime, leaving Portman to finish the game on her own. The notoriously private Portman hasn’t offered any clues about her current situation, though a source close to Portman has shared her frame of mind.
“Natalie is incredibly private and has no intention of playing this out in the media. Her biggest priority is protecting her children and their privacy,” PEOPLE has reported.
