Natalie Portman opened up about the long-term impact of a child actress being sexually abused as an adult.
The Thor: Love and Thunder star began her acting career at the age of 12 when she played an assassin’s nanny in Leon: The professional (1994), and gained worldwide fame in Star Wars prequel film, where she played Padmé Amidala. Now, at 41, Portman is contemplating what in the limelight as a youngster cost her.
“I think, at the time, that was very normal,” Portman told Sunday Times in an interview about being sexually assaulted as a young teenager. “Some of those are the types of roles that have been written about, and some of that is how journalists feel entitled to write about it.”
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One article, in particular, entered Portman’s memory deeply, and she told of publishing a self-assessment she read when she was 13 years old, which commented on her “nipples” that.
In response to pornography, Portman said she “placed all of these protections,” including turning down roles that featured sex scenes.
“It’s like, ‘I won’t be seen like that,’ because it’s like a position of vulnerability and also a position less respected that is, in a way, described. like that,” she said.
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This is not the first time Portman has revealed the long-term impact of sexual abuse at such a young age on her.
Two years ago, the Oscar-winning actress talked to the actor Dax Shepard on his podcast Armchair specialist about how she believes her early experiences of being sexually assaulted changed the way she acted on her own during her adult years.
Portman said at the time: “Being sexually abused as a child took away my sexuality because it scared me.
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“So a lot of people get the impression of me that I’m super serious and a rude and conservative person as I get older,” she continued.
“I consciously cultivate that because it’s a way of making me feel safe. If someone respects you, they won’t object to you.”
“You are told as a girl and a woman you have to want [be objectified]and that’s a good thing, people find you attractive or people think you’re sexy,” she said.
“These words that we use especially with young girls – and then it’s complicated because it doesn’t necessarily always make you feel good or feel safe.”
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