In the hotel's second-floor café, Benjamin Milpied was carefully reviewing the file folder handed to him by Mila Kunis. As he read through it, his expression grew increasingly grave, his face darkening with each passing page. Having worked in the same production crew for so long, he had some understanding of what kind of person Natalie Portman was. She was a beautiful actress, and once his dream girl, Mathilda. She had fallen for him, proposed to him, and even had his child—how could he possibly refuse her?
Benjamin Milpied, a small-time ballet dancer, had managed to win over Natalie Portman. The idea was exhilarating; who wouldn't feel proud to be in such a spotlight?
Even though a part of him suspected Natalie might be using him, he preferred to believe that his long-desired Mathilda had finally fallen in love with him. But Mathilda had grown up.
Mila Kunis continued chewing her gum slowly, her expression one of steady amusement. The contents of the folder—documents, photos, and even recordings—left no room for doubt. Benjamin Milpied had no reason not to believe what was in it.
Rachel Weisz had gathered these materials with an obsessive level of detail, enough to surprise even Mila. It was shocking how dangerous a woman could be when seeking revenge on a friend who had betrayed her.
It must have taken Rachel Weisz a significant amount of time and money to acquire all of this evidence. Natalie Portman had certainly tangled with the wrong person over a role. But what was truly terrifying was the intensity of Rachel's vengeful heart.
That was why Mila Kunis was here with Benjamin Milpied. Natalie had slapped her hard in Venice, as if her face was just there for the taking. Mila was determined to get even. She had seduced Natalie's director-lover, and knowing Natalie's personality, retaliation was inevitable. So, why not strike first? As Rachel had advised, the plan was to knock Natalie down from her pedestal, bury her in the mud, and ensure she would never rise again.
Mila had a clear understanding of both herself and Natalie Portman. Natalie's fame was far greater, but her career was already on the decline; she was like the Pacific Ocean's setting sun, poised to sink. Mila, on the other hand, was on an upward trajectory, certain that she would soon surpass Natalie.
Benjamin finally broke the silence. "Where did you get this?"
Mila didn't answer directly but said, "Ben, we've known each other since the first day you joined the crew. You're a straightforward guy, but you have no idea to what lengths a woman, especially an actress like Natalie Portman or me, will go for fame."
Benjamin remained silent. The ballet world was a small, insular community, and his focus had always been on dance.
"I got this material," Mila said, pointing to the folder, "because I don't want to see a straightforward man get played by a manipulative woman."
She stood up. "Listen to those recordings. If they don't matter to you, just throw them away."
Benjamin's hand, clutching the folder, trembled slightly, his emotions visibly stirred.
Mila waved at him as she walked off. "Goodbye, Ben."
As someone who had climbed from the bottom as an immigrant from Ukraine, Mila's knack for reading people was sharp. She could tell Benjamin Milpied wouldn't simply let this go.
Even if he did, she certainly wouldn't let Natalie Portman off the hook.
Leaving the hotel's second floor, Mila took out her phone and dialed a number while heading toward her car.
"It's Mila. You're Ashton Kutcher's assistant, right? Get him on the phone." She waited a moment, and as soon as she heard Ashton's voice, she said, "Are you free today? I want to meet. And bring your wife, Demi Moore. I'll be at the usual spot."
She hung up and got into her car, eager to head for Beverly Hills. Though she had a nominal boyfriend, Macaulay Culkin's body had been ravaged by drugs; it was neither attractive nor useful. Were it not for the bit of media attention he still brought her, they would have ended things long ago.
Strong men were the best, especially those who weren't afraid to bring their wives along for some fun.
As she drove, Mila's thoughts returned to Natalie Portman's actions. If things hadn't gone wrong, stealing that director from Rachel Weisz would have been a brilliant move on Natalie's part.
Maybe she could pull something similar—convince Ashton Kutcher to dump Demi Moore, then break up with Macaulay and get together with Ashton herself. A power couple.
By the time she arrived at the hotel, Mila Kunis had already made up her mind. She would take Ashton from Demi, just like Natalie had tried with Rachel. Demi probably wouldn't become a vengeful Rachel, though; after all, she and Ashton had experimented with others before. But then, if she managed to snag Ashton, should she still participate in those games?
Just after New Year's 2011, the investigation into the accident on the set of "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" finally concluded, and the production was set to resume filming. As Matthew prepared to return to the set, he saw an interview with a ballet dancer named Sarah Lane making the rounds in the media.
Then Rachel Weisz called him.
Since he'd already involved himself in Rachel's feud with Natalie, and considering Natalie had tried to manipulate him more than once, Matthew decided to continue helping her. He personally called Elena Boyar and asked Helen Herman and Bella Anderson to connect with the media to amplify any news about Natalie Portman.
Sarah Lane, the ballet dancer who doubled for Natalie in Black Swan, was now speaking out. Matthew had no idea how much Rachel Weisz had invested to get Sarah Lane to break her confidentiality agreement and come forward.
The next day, interviews with Sarah Lane appeared on more newspapers, websites, and TV channels. Sarah, from the American Ballet Theatre and Natalie's double in Black Swan, revealed that all the dance scenes, except those requiring Natalie's face, were actually performed by her.
"I've danced ballet for nearly 22 years. I know how difficult it is. No matter how hard you work, you can't become a professional in a year or so, especially when Natalie actually only trained for less than two months."
The reports were skillfully crafted, avoiding outright attacks. Sarah Lane explained, "In Black Swan's promotion, they made ballet seem easy. I'm not seeking fame or defaming Natalie; I just want to highlight the dedication and effort we put into this art."
Since Oscar voting had just begun, this news triggered a significant backlash. Natalie Portman responded promptly, asserting that 90% of the dance footage in the film was indeed performed by her.
"Being part of Black Swan was amazing. I don't care about these rumors."
It seemed she wasn't interested in lowering herself to argue with someone as "insignificant" as a ballet double.
Certainly, a lone dancer's accusations wouldn't have much impact. The dancer belonged to the ballet world, not Hollywood, and a single claim of slander could easily undermine her credibility.
Matthew kept a close watch, knowing Rachel Weisz wouldn't have invested over a year's effort on just one strategy. Sure enough, as the new year break ended, Benjamin Milpied held a press conference announcing his breakup with Natalie Portman.
If that had been all, Natalie might have won public sympathy as an abandoned single mother.
But a deeply hurt man, humiliated and manipulated, especially one who had been urged on by someone else, could prove formidable.
"I'm a victim."
Benjamin's words at the press conference revealed how devastated he was. "People need to know what kind of person Natalie Portman is, to prevent her from hurting others."
He presented documents, photos, and recordings that showed Natalie had been pregnant long before she and Benjamin got together. Not only had she failed to disclose this to him, but she'd also used the baby as leverage to force him to break up with his previous girlfriend.
The scandal sent shockwaves through the media, destroying Natalie's carefully cultivated image.
However, a fallen reputation doesn't erase a star's career entirely, and Oscar voting isn't swayed by scandal alone. Otherwise, people like Roman Polanski wouldn't have won awards.
But Benjamin's actions effectively ended Natalie's Oscar dreams.
As the choreographer and dance director for Black Swan, Benjamin revealed that, aside from Natalie's close-ups, most of the ballet sequences were performed by her double.
Director Darren Aronofsky remained silent, and co-star Mila Kunis offered no defense. The controversy surrounding Natalie's double officially erupted into the public eye.
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