Natalie Portman Expresses Gratitude to Friends ‘Who Lift Me Up Again and Again’ After Divorce from Benjamin Millepied

Natalie Portman is sending a special shoutout to her friends.

The 43-year-old actress thanked her pals as she marked her birthday in an Instagram post on Sunday, June 9. The comments come after Portman finalized her divorce from her husband Benjamin Millepied in February.

“This year, on my birthday, I want to celebrate my gratitude for my friends who lift me up again and again,” Portman wrote in the caption while sharing several photos of herself with her friends. 

The majority of the snaps appeared to have been taken recently as Portman was seen posing with her friends in various locations and events, including an afterparty at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the Dior Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show in Paris. 

Portman’s comments come after an emotional time for the actress amid her separation from her ex-husband Millepied, 47.

In July 2023, Portman quietly filed for divorce from Milliepied after reports emerged of him having an extramarital affair in May 2023. The divorce was finalized seven months later in France, where the family lives. A rep for Portman confirmed the news to PEOPLE at the time.

Portman met the choreographer and dancer on the set of Black Swan in 2009 after he was hired to train her for the movie — for which she won Best Actress at the 2011 Oscars. The pair welcomed their first child, son Aleph, in 2011 and tied the knot the following year. They welcomed their daughter Amalia in 2017. 

In March, a source told PEOPLE that Portman and Millepied are focusing on creating a “smooth transition” for their children amid their divorce. 

“She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important,” a friend of the former couple told PEOPLE at the time.

The insider added that Portman was being supported by her friends and family during the difficult period.

“It was initially really tough for her, but her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the worst of it,” they said. “Natalie is coming out of a really tough and painful year but she’s come out the other side of it stronger and is finding joy in her family, friends and work.”