Here’s why Natalie Portman didn't attend the Oscars 2017

Even though she was nominated.

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Published In Features
Natalie Portman
(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

Even though she was nominated.

Despite being nominated for Best Actress at the Oscar awards, Natalie Portman announced that she would be skipping the Oscars for one very simple reason: her pregnancy.

Natalie released an official statement to Variety magazine before the show:

‘Due to my pregnancy, I am unable to attend the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards. I feel so lucky to be honored among my fellow nominees and wish them the most beautiful of weekends.’

Natalie was nominated for her leading role in Jackie, a film by Pablo Larrain, depicting the life of First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the week following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

oscars 2017

Nominated alongside her in the category for Best Actress were Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins), Ruth Negga (Loving), Emma Stone (La La Land) and Isabella Huppert (Elle).

This was Natalie’s third Oscar nomination, winning her first Academy Award in 2010 for Black Swan, accepting the award while pregnant with her first child, Aleph.

She and Benjamin Millepied are now expecting their second child.

Jenny Proudfoot
Jenny Proudfoot
Contributing Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.