The book that angered Natalie Portman: "She is shocked"

Natalie Portman is currently preparing for the birth of her third child, the first she shares with her partner of the last year, French producer and musician Tanguy Destable. But while preparations for the family expansion are underway at her home, there is another story that is managing to bother the actress and even anger her greatly: a new book that was allegedly written based on her life, in which she is presented in a light that is far from flattering.

The Daily Mail published an extensive article about 'Life of M', the new novel by author Rachel Cusk, which is expected to be published later this month. At its center is a film star identified only as M and a writer who tries to document her life, with the star presented as a detached and self-absorbed diva.

"Natalie is a very private person, that is the reason she moved to Paris, and therefore Rachel's book really angered her," a friend of Portman told the Daily Mail. "She thinks it's a very low move, and is shocked by the rumors as if she was involved in the book in any way — which is of course not true. The celebrity in the book is not like her at all. She is far from being a diva; she is a quiet bookworm."

But why do people think M is Natalie Portman? Portman (45) and Cusk (59) both live in Paris, and the connection between them has already become part of the story surrounding the book. Portman previously hosted Cusk on her book club podcast, 'Nat's Book Club', and in 2021 chose Cusk's 'Second Place' as one of her recommendations. Three years later, she also recommended 'Parade', Cusk's 2024 book. Before the book's publication, Portman wrote on Instagram: "I am always amazed by Rachel Cusk and the way she breaks the conventions of storytelling."

However, according to sources who spoke to the Daily Mail, Portman and Cusk are not, and have never been, close friends, and have only met a few times around Paris. In Portman's circle, they believe that the actress fell victim to a cynical marketing campaign by the publisher, intended to promote it through a juicy story about a friendship that fell apart. According to that same friend, Natalie strongly believes in girl power and female sisterhood, and therefore for her, this is a gross violation of her code. She believes that connections between women should be nurtured and not exploited for commercial purposes.

Natalie or M? All the clues

Anyone who reads the early copy of the book will find quite a few clues that are hard to ignore:

The advertising campaign: M is described as the star of a well-known campaign, wrapped in pink flowers. This is especially reminiscent of Portman, who has served as the face and ambassador of Christian Dior since 2010, often appearing in campaigns surrounded by roses and pink peonies.
The location: The place where M and the narrator live is described in a way that very much resembles Paris.
Early career: Like Portman, M was a child star. The book mentions childhood sexual abuse, and the description of M's first film suspiciously resembles Portman's breakthrough in the 1994 film 'Leon'. In both cases, the mothers demanded to remove more explicit sexual scenes from the script.
'Black Swan': M, according to the book, also starred early in her career in a film about ballet and had to deal with the teachers' disregard for her abilities, later developing intense jealousy of another actress.

Cusk herself is not saying anything, and the question of whether M is Natalie Portman remains open. While some defend the author by noting it is a work of fiction, others find the parallels too striking to be coincidental. The Daily Mail reached out to both for comment, but neither responded.