Natalie Portman suffered “sexual terrorism” in her early days: “I excitedly opened my first fan mail to read a

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Natalie Portman suffered “sexual terrorism” in her early days: “I excitedly opened my first fan mail to read a

The famous actress Natalie Portman, twice nominated for an Oscar for ‘Closer’ and ‘Jackie’ and winner of an Oscar for Best Actress for Black Swan—as well as appearing in numerous films such as ‘V for Vendetta,’ ‘Annihilation’ and in sagas such as Star Wars and Marvel—shared her traumatic debut in Hollywood as a child, claiming that she suffered “sexual terrorism” at the age of 13. She explained this to thousands of people at a 2018 demonstration in Los Angeles for the Women’s March, protesting Trump, saying that this situation led her to feel the need to cover her body and reduce her expressiveness during her early years as an actress.

“Movie reviewers talked about my budding breasts”

Natalie Portman is one of the most prominent public figures in the Time’s Up movement against sexual harassment. The actress explained her experiences during her early days in Hollywood, where she experienced “an atmosphere of sexual terrorism” as a minor. She made her debut in the 1994 film ‘Léon: The Professional,’ directed by Luc Besson and co-starring actor Jean Reno, which she filmed when she was only 12 years old, although it was released in theaters when Portman was 13.

“I excitedly opened my first fan mail to read a rape fantasy that a man had written me,” explained the actress, continuing to describe the disturbing atmosphere that surrounded her: “I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually, I would feel unsafe. And that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body, to my great discomfort.”

She even had to endure disturbing comments and opinions while she was still a minor. To give just a few examples, critics wrote about her “budding breasts” in their reviews, while a radio station joked about counting down the days until the actress turned 18, at which point it would be legal to have sex with her.

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“At 13 years old, the message from our culture was clear to me,” Portman said. I felt the need to cover my body and to inhibit my expression and my work in order to send my own message to the world that I’m someone worthy of safety and respect. The response to my expression, from small comments about my body to more threatening deliberate statements, served to control my behavior through an environment of sexual terrorism.”

After going through all these negative experiences, Portman said she adjusted her behavior, turned down roles with kissing scenes, and emphasized her “bookish and serious” side. So much so that the actress built a reputation as a “prudish, conservative, nerdy, serious” young woman in order to feel that her body was safe and her voice was heard.

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The synopsis of ‘Léon: The Professional’ describes the story of Léon, a solitary hitman who, after the murder of a family, reluctantly takes in Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl. Mathilda, seeking revenge, strikes a deal with Léon: in exchange for living with him and taking care of household chores, he will teach her the trade of assassination so she can take revenge on the corrupt DEA agent who killed her family. Currently, Léon: The Professional is only available on streaming on FuboTV in the United States.