Moby has opened up about the conflicting accounts between him and Natalie Portman regarding their brief association in 1999, shedding light on the Natalie Portman dating controversy. The Natural Blues singer revisited the incident in a recent interview, addressing their differing memories from a meeting that took place over two decades ago.
Moby Reflects on His Memoir and Portman’s Denial
In 2019, Moby published his memoir Then It Fell Apart, where he claimed to have dated Natalie Portman, then 18, when he was 33. Portman has consistently disputed this portrayal, insisting the relationship was vastly exaggerated, if it existed at all. Their clashing narratives have continued to dominate discussions around their past.
In a February 20 interview with The Times, Moby acknowledged the challenge in reconciling their different perspectives.
“It’s hard for me to make sense of it,”
he admitted. When asked if their past incident could be seen as
“a sour episode between two people who seem decent,”
Moby responded,
“In so far as I’m capable of perspective on that, I don’t disagree with what you’re saying.”
Portman’s Response to Moby’s Characterization
Shortly after the memoir’s release, Portman expressed surprise and disapproval of being described as dating Moby. In a 2019 interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, she stated,
“I was surprised to hear that he characterized the very short time that I knew him as dating,”
clarifying that her impression was of encountering
“a much older man being creepy with me.”
Portman recalled their interaction as limited and uncomfortable.
“He was on tour and I was working shooting a film,”
she explained,
“so we only hung out a handful of times before I realized that this was an older man who was interested in me in a way that felt inappropriate.”
Moby’s Apology Acknowledging the Age Difference and Insensitivity
Following Portman’s public denial, Moby responded with an apology, recognizing the validity of the criticism he received. On Instagram, he wrote,
“As some time has passed I’ve realized that many of the criticisms leveled at me regarding my inclusion of Natalie in Then It Fell Apart are very valid.”
He also admitted to wrongdoing in not informing Portman ahead of including her in the memoir and failing to respect her feelings afterward.
“I also fully recognize that it was truly inconsiderate of me to not let her know about her inclusion in the book beforehand, and equally inconsiderate for me to not fully respect her reaction.”
Moby further expressed admiration for Portman’s qualities, saying,
“I have a lot of admiration for Natalie, for her intelligence, creativity, and animal rights activism, and I hate that I might have caused her and her family distress.”
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