Does Natalie Portman have children?

Natalie Portman has been in the limelight following the much-buzzy release of May December. The Todd Haynes-directed movie has become one of Netflix’s highest-rated titles for 2023, and follows Portman as an actress tasked with studying the subjects of a tabloid sex drama.

May December adds to a long list of credits for Portman — who has elsewhere starred in Black Swan, Thor: Love and Thunder and Jackie — but her life is just as rich offscreen. So does Natalie Portman have children and, if so, how old are they?

Does Natalie Portman have children?

Natalie Portman has two children with her husband Benjamin Millepied, named Aleph and Amalia. While the actress typically keeps her children out of the spotlight, we do know that her first child, son Aleph, is 12 years old, and was born on June 14, 2011. Portman has said Aleph is a big soccer fan, and plays the sport himself.

Portman was four months into her pregnancy with Aleph when she received her Best Actress win for Black Swan at the 2011 Academy Awards. Portman has since said the baby bump made getting ready for the event “all the more precarious,” as she was extra conscious of wearing high heels and avoiding any falls on her way to accepting the trophy.  

Portman gave birth to her second child, daughter Amalia, on February 22, 2017. Amalia is six years old and is said to be the inspiration, alongside Aleph, behind Portman’s 2020 children’s book, Natalie Portman’s Fables. That book, which added new flair to three classic children’s tales, isn’t Amalia’s only interest; since Portman has also revealed that her daughter has a fondness for animals. 

The actress has also spoken about the influence of Aleph and Amalia on her career and life, writing a social media post that the kids make her “smile every day.” In terms of her acting roles, Portman said in 2022 that the next phase in her career is based around trying to impress her children, since they were “enthralled” by her role in Thor: Love and Thunder.

In addition to visiting the set of the MCU film and seeing their mother wear a cape, Aleph and Amalia also made a cameo appearance in Thor, briefly sharing the screen with Chris Hemsworth’s son and daughter, as well as the children of co-star Christian Bale and director Taika Waititi.