Natalie Portman reflected on a pivotal encounter with Rihanna during a challenging period of her life on Monday’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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The 43-year-old Oscar-winning actress described meeting Rihanna as a ‘formative moment’ while going through her divorce. “I think everyone going through a divorce should have Rihanna tell them they’re a bad b****,” Natalie said, emphasizing the boost it gave her. “It was exactly what I needed.”
Natalie and her ex-husband, Benjamin Millepied, 47, ended their 11-year marriage with their divorce finalized this past March. During the show, host Jimmy Fallon, 49, shared a video from January’s Paris Fashion Week where Rihanna embraced Natalie and praised her, calling her “one of the hottest b****es in Hollywood.” Natalie’s response was, “Are you kidding me?”
Reflecting on the video, Natalie told Jimmy, “It was a formative moment in my life.”
Portman appeared on the NBC talk show dressed in a black strapless crystal-embellished dress to promote her new Apple TV+ miniseries, Lady in the Lake. In the series, Natalie plays Maddie Schwartz, a Jewish housewife in 1960s Baltimore, who leaves her husband of 20 years and her teenage son to help the police investigate the brutal murder of an 11-year-old girl. The seven-part series is adapted from Laura Lippman’s 2019 book of the same name.
Living in Paris, Natalie also shared tips with Jimmy on how to avoid looking like a tourist when he visits for the upcoming Olympics. “No flip flops,” she advised. “No shorts. You know it’s an American if they’re wearing shorts. And red berets.”
When Jimmy asked, “It’s cool?” Natalie quickly responded, “It’s a no-go.”
Jimmy then brought up Natalie’s voice roles in popular cartoons, including an episode of Bluey and playing Darcy in The Simpsons. When asked to choose her favorite character between the two, she likened the decision to “choosing between children.”
The conversation also included a clip from Lady in the Lake. When Jimmy inquired about tips for visiting Baltimore, Natalie, a vegan, noted the city’s famed crab cakes. “I was sad I couldn’t try the crab cakes, but they do have vegan options at all the vegan restaurants, which is very exciting,” she said.
Natalie also joined Jimmy in a game of Catchphrase against Tariq Trotter from The Roots and Julio Torres from Fantasmas. Despite their efforts, Tariq and Julio’s team emerged victorious.