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Oscar winner Natalie Portman was all smiles alongside actor Paul Mescal during a recent outing in London, sparking speculation that the two stars may be an item. The sighting comes just weeks after Portman's separation from husband Benjamin Millepied after 11 years of marriage.
Portman, 42, and Mescal, 28, were photographed looking cozy while walking together in the English capital. In the pictures, the Black Swan actress beamed as she strolled alongside the rising Irish star, who gained fame for his breakout role in Hulu's Normal People.
A source told Entertainment Tonight, "They were looking very intimate and were holding hands while walking around London. There was a definite romantic vibe between them." The eyewitness claimed Portman appeared "smitten" with her younger companion.
Reps for both actors have not commented on the potential new romance. However, the rumor mill has been buzzing about the two after they were both cast in the upcoming miniseries The Full Monty, based on the 1997 British comedy film.
Portman is coming off her recent split from French dancer and choreographer Millepied, 45, with whom she shares two children - son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 6. The two met on the set of Black Swan in 2009, for which Millepied choreographed the ballet sequences, with Portman winning the Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
Their breakup followed months of speculation about troubles in their marriage. "After a romantic long weekend in Paris early this year, work schedules led them in different directions and they gradually grew apart," an insider told People magazine.
Mescal, meanwhile, has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men since his breakout performance in 2020's Normal People. The 28-year-old earned an Emmy nomination and widespread critical acclaim for his raw, vulnerable portrayal in the Hulu series.
He has since starred in films like Aftersun and The Lost Daughter opposite Dakota Johnson. Mescal will make his stage debut later this year in the London revival of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Known for keeping her personal life intensely private, Portman has been notoriously quiet about her relationship status since her split from Millepied. Some fans have speculated that her unexpected reunion with her Closer co-star Jude Law at a Hollywood event in March could have marked the beginning of her reentry into the dating world.
Only time will tell if the Harvard-educated Portman, one of Hollywood's most respected and awarded actresses, and Mescal, the internet's latest boyfriend, are truly an item. For now, they make for buzzworthy potential new couple as two actors at vastly different stages of their careers.
