Moby has revisited the conflicting accounts between himself and Natalie Portman regarding their interactions in 1999, a subject that has sparked the Natalie Portman dating controversy. The discussions date back to when Moby claimed they briefly dated, a statement that Portman has strongly disputed. Their story has resurfaced in various interviews and statements over several years, highlighting the tension over their differing perspectives.
Reexamining the 1999 Encounter Between Moby and Natalie Portman
In his 2019 memoir Then It Fell Apart, Moby described a short-lived romantic connection with Natalie Portman, alleging they had dated when he was 33 and she was 18. Portman, now 44, firmly denied this characterization, asserting the interaction was nothing more than an uncomfortable encounter. Moby, reflecting on the situation in a 2024 interview with The Times, conceded that understanding the situation is challenging for him.
When asked if the episode had become a sour experience between two otherwise decent individuals, Moby responded,
In so far as I’m capable of perspective on that, I don’t disagree with what you’re saying,
indicating a degree of acceptance of the mixed emotions involved.
Portman’s recollections sharply differ from Moby’s. After his memoir mentioned her, she openly expressed her surprise and discomfort in a 2019 Harper’s Bazaar UK interview. She stated,
I was surprised to hear that he characterized the very short time that I knew him as dating,
going on to call Moby’s behavior at the time
a much older man being creepy with me.
According to Portman, the two met briefly after one of Moby’s concerts, where he proposed they could simply be friends.
He was on tour and I was working shooting a film, so we only hung out a handful of times before I realized that this was an older man
