Chicken Little has nothing on today’s celebrities.
Stars large and small are spreading fear throughout the culture, and the topics won’t take anyone by surprise.
They typically involve an orange man behaving badly and his so-called Gestapo foot soldiers.
The recent Sundance Film Festival affair, the last to be held in Park City, Utah before moving to The Republic of Boulder, is giving celebrities all the red-carpet room they need to spread fear.
<div id="attachment_1036401" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1036401" class="size-large wp-image-1036401" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258422955-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 26: Demonstrators walk down Main Street protesting the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258422955-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258422955-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258422955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258422955.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />David Becker/Getty Images</div>
The media is doing the rest, regurgitating their comments without a fact check in sight.
Oscar-winner Natalie Portman used her festival pulpit to decry the rise of ICE agents corralling illegal immigrants, many of whom have been charged with heinous crimes like rape and murder.
For Portman, the scary part is <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5707941-natalie-portman-donald-trump-kristie-noem-ice/">enforcing immigration laws</a>.
“It’s very joyful to be at a film festival and in a creative community celebrating film together, but what is happening in our country is just obscene … What Trump, and Kristi Noem and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] are doing to our citizens, and undocumented people, is outrageous and needs to end.”
<div id="attachment_1036349" style="width: 831px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1036349" class="size-large wp-image-1036349" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258048486-821x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 24: Natalie Portman attends the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/GC Images)" width="821" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258048486-821x576.jpg 821w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258048486-300x210.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258048486-768x539.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258048486.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 821px) 100vw, 821px" />Bryan Steffy/GC Images</div>
The comments came shortly after ICE agents shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti, a Jan. 24th incident with many questions left unanswered. Pretti was armed at some point in the altercation, and new video shows he previously spat at ICE agents, kicked another agent’s vehicle, shattering its taillight, and resisted arrest.
His death remains tragic, but context cannot be left out. This wasn’t a peaceful protester simply waving a placard or warbling a protest song.
Actress/director Olivia Wilde doubled down on Portman’s comments, once again from a glamorous red-carpet affair.
“We can’t go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous. People are being murdered. And, I don’t want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet. On film. It’s. It’s hideous.”
Oscar-nominee Edward Norton took a cue from too many Democrat politicians by ratcheting up the rhetoric with <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/01/26/sundance-film-festival-crowds-protest-and-celebrities-react-to-latest-ice-killing-in-minne">the Nazi Card.</a>
“These days it’s ‘What are we gonna do about mass Gestapo shooting American citizens? … We are sitting here talking about movies while an illegal army is being mounted against US citizens.”
<div id="attachment_1036419" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1036419" class="size-large wp-image-1036419" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258054012-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 24: Edward Norton (L) and Seth Rogen attend The Invite After Party with Casamigos at The Cabin On Main Street, Sundance Film Festival 2026 on January 24, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Casamigos)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258054012-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258054012-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258054012-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258054012.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Casamigos</div>
He didn’t back up his charge that the ICE agents are acting in an illegal manner. Nor did he wonder why there’s so much violence associated with Minneapolis “protests” when other cities are also flooded with ICE agents without incident.
Others are relying on social media, not glitzy film festivals, to peddle fear. Comedian Kathy Griffin, whose career came to a screeching halt in 2017 when she shared a photograph of her holding a bloodied Trump head aloft, ISIS style, also spread distrust via social media.
She told her followers to find out if their neighbors are “MAGA” and <a href="https://x.com/ClownWorld/status/2016985304419488006">start planning accordingly.</a> For what, she didn’t say, but the implications were ominous.
“Breaking Bad” alum Giancarlo Esposito, not someone normally associated with political banter, offered what might be the most fear-based comments of them all.
The actor played the Race Card while suggesting we could be staring down the barrel of a Civil War of sorts. And <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-bad-star-says-its-time-for-a-revolution-admits-people-will-die-for-the-cause">there will certainly be blood.</a> It sounds like he can’t wait.
“This is time for a revolution — and they don’t even know that’s what they’re starting,” the actor said. “We have to stand up to it. They can’t take us all down. If the whole world showed up on Putin’s doorstep or the Iranians’ doorstep or in Washington, they’d kill 500 or 50 million or however [many], but the rest of us would survive with a new [world]…”
“This is all a preparation for a very insidious problem that’s happening in our world. And for me, I have to speak out. We will not be ICE’d out. This is not going to happen.”
Some fears don’t directly involve ICE or President Trump, but the connective tissue is easy to spot. Take Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke, who proved his acting chops anew with this unhinged and reality-free take on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-lefts-performative-outrage">death of free speech in Trump’s America</a>.
&#8220;There’s a kind of fear in the air that I’ve never felt before … And it’s not America. To get to be an artist in a free country, I’ve had enough of an education to know what a privilege that is. And I don’t feel that way anymore. And that’s something that has to change.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1036361" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1036361" class="size-large wp-image-1036361" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258406932-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 26: Ethan Hawke attends &quot;The Weight&quot; Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 26, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258406932-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258406932-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258406932-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258406932.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images</div>
Hawke has been mum on the new Hollywood Blacklist that keeps too many conservatives out of Hollywood or shamed into silence. He also stood down when Gina Carano’s social media post pleading for tolerance cost her the biggest job of her career – a slot on Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.”
Pop superstar Lady Gaga isn’t in the United States at the moment, but she still felt compelled to spread fear via <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/01/29/video-lady-gaga-pauses-tokyo-concert-to-smear-and-lie-about-ice/">a Tokyo concert appearance</a>.
“In a couple of days, I’m gonna be heading home and my heart is aching thinking about the people, the children, the families, all over America, who are being mercilessly targeted by ICE. I’m thinking about all of their pain and how their lives are being destroyed right in front of us.”
Laura Ingraham’s “Shut Up and Sing” mantra rushes to mind. 
<div id="attachment_1036387" style="width: 896px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1036387" class="size-large wp-image-1036387" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258386241-886x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 26: Demonstrators protest the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Main Street during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2026 in Park City, Utah. Protests and demonstrations have broken out in multiple cities following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)" width="886" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258386241-886x576.jpg 886w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258386241-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258386241-768x500.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2258386241.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px" />Jesse Grant/Getty Images</div>
Late-night comics are doing their fair share of spreading fear, with one in particular making a ghoulish Nazi comparison to heighten his audience’s apprehension for the daily headlines.
Stephen Colbert, whose “Late Show” goes the way of the pager and 8-track tape come May, slammed ICE agents in a way that should make even Left-of-Center souls shudder.
“Yes, do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis. That&#8217;s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.&#8221;
The host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” broke into tears, twice, in the first episode following Pretti’s death. He regurgitated the same Nazi rhetoric coming from the Legacy Media and his Hollywood brethren.
“Decide for yourself if that&#8217;s making America great,” Kimmel cried.
The country these stars describe is scary, no doubt. Yet none of them act as if they’re actually afraid. A Nazi-like state wouldn’t take kindly to these outbursts. Threats would be made. Professional punishments might commence.
Some might disappear, never to be seen again. Yet nothing of the kind has happened, nor will it.
The only thing America has to fear is fear itself, and celebrities who twist the truth for deeply partisan gains.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The Variety Studio during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Presented by Audible

Sundance 2026: Celebrity Fear Factor On Full Display

Celebrity Fear Factor On Full Display

actors

Celebrities

Democrats

Entertainment

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Leftists

Minnesota

Natalie Portman

Sundance Film Festival

Actress Natalie Portman raised concerns about the lack of female directors recognized in this year&#8217;s Academy Award nominations. 
The 44-year-old made the remarks over the weekend while hitting the Sundance Film Festival press circuit, per <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/natalie-portman-slams-ice-awards-women-directed-movies-1236640121/">Variety</a>. Portman wore“ICE OUT” and “Be Good” pins as an apparent statement against fatal interactions between federal immigration agents and protesters in Minneapolis.
“So many of the best films I saw this year were made by women,” Portman told the outlet. “You just see the barriers at every level because so many were not recognized at awards time.&#8221;
The actress went on to cite specific projects she said deserved Oscar nominations this year. 
&#8220;Between ‘Sorry Baby’ and ‘Left-Handed Girl’ and ‘Hedda’ and ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’…extraordinary films this year that I think a lot of people are enjoying and loving, but are not getting the accolades that they deserve,&#8221; she went on.
This year, one woman was nominated in the Best Director category: Chloé Zhao, director of the historical drama “Hamnet.” Other nominees in the category include Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme,” Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle After Another,” Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value,” and Ryan Coogler for “Sinners.” 
Portman was at Sundance promoting her film, “The Gallerist,” which was also directed by a woman.
The actress also disparaged federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. “This is such a joyful community celebrating film here and we’re so excited to be showing ‘The Gallerist,’ but we’re also at a moment in our country’s history that is quite devastating,” Portman told Variety. 
“It’s really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately,” she said. “But also, there’s a beautiful community that Americans are showing right now. They’re showing up for each other, protecting each other and fighting for their freedom. It’s a bittersweet moment to celebrate something we’re so proud of on the backdrop of our nation in pain.”

Natalie Portman Pushes Gender Grievance After Oscar Nominations

Academy Awards

Hollywood

There are certainly examples of former child actors who grew up to become happy, healthy, and well-adjusted adults. Unfortunately, there are also dozens of examples of the opposite happening. 
The pitfalls of stepping into Hollywood under the age of 18 are so bad that many former child stars are speaking publicly against the concept and even forbid their own kids from entering the business.
Most recently, former “Full House” actress Jodie Sweetin said that one of the biggest dangers for young stars is having parents who once wanted to be famous themselves. That’s not what happened to her — Sweetin’s adoptive parents were great, she said — but she also noted how people used to approach her to say the sole reason they had children was to make them famous.
“When you see the kids that grew up in this business that turned out to be fairly normal, well-rounded people, they all have really normal parents, who didn’t want to be in the business themselves,” the 41-year-old celebrity told Today during a November 2023 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/full-house-star-jodie-sweetin-explains-what-normal-child-actors-have-in-common" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>. 
“They’re like, ‘I tried to be famous, but it didn’t work out, so now it’s your turn,’” Sweetin added, saying people have told her, “I had a kid because I wanted them to be famous.”
The actress became a household name thanks to the popular 90s comedy “Full House,” making her debut on the show when she was just 5- years- old. While fame-hungry parents weren’t her downfall, Sweetin did struggle in adulthood with drug and alcohol addiction. She said the show ending was partially to blame.
<div id="attachment_661127" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-661127" class="size-large wp-image-661127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1487226608-864x576.jpg" alt="HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Actor Jodie Sweetin attends the Los Angeles opening night performance of the musical &quot;Hairspray&quot; at Dolby Theatre on May 02, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1487226608-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1487226608-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1487226608-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1487226608.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Michael Tullberg/Getty Images</div>
“It was a huge shift in my life,” the actress said. “Everything I had known from the time I was 5 years old suddenly ended and it was like saying goodbye to a family I had loved very, very much,” Sweetin said in 2016. “At such a young age it really was a huge loss for me, I didn’t know how to grieve. Drugs and alcohol just sort of numbed everything.”
Another celebrity who warned the world about the dangers of childhood stardom is Academy Award winning actress Natalie Portman. The 42-year-old mother of two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/natalie-portman-says-children-shouldnt-be-actors-kids-should-play-and-go-to-school">said</a> children should be allowed to experience traditional childhood far from the bright lights of Hollywood.
“I would not encourage young people to go into this. I don’t mean ever; I mean as children,” Portman told Variety during a recent interview.
“I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents,” the “Black Swan” actress continued. “You don’t like it when you’re a kid, and you’re grateful for it when you’re an adult. I’ve heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it.”
<div id="attachment_661135" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-661135" class="size-large wp-image-661135" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1817812609-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 27: Natalie Portman during the 2023 Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 27, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1817812609-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1817812609-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1817812609-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1817812609.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images</div>
“Ultimately, I don’t believe that kids should work,” Portman added. “I think kids should play and go to school.”
The actress launched her acting career at the age of 12 starring in the action film “Léon: The Professional” (1994). Portman catapulted to fame for her portrayal of Padmé Amidala in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999).
Former child star Christina Ricci <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-child-star-christina-ricci-its-abuse-make-paul-bois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a> with Sweetin’s assessment, going as far as saying parents who force their children to become famous are committing “child abuse.” 
“I feel it’s child abuse to make your child famous,” the 43-year-old mother of two said in 2019. “Once [my son’s] an adult, and he studies, and he understands that it’s an art form, then he can pursue an acting career if he’d like.”
“Being famous is not good for children, it’s just not,” Ricci added “We have a million examples of why it’s not good for children. I’m just not going to risk it. Why would you put the most precious thing in your life up for that?”
<div id="attachment_661131" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-661131" class="size-large wp-image-661131" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1486942692-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Christina Ricci attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating &quot;Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty&quot; at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1486942692-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1486942692-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1486942692-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1486942692.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Mike Coppola/Getty Images</div>
However, her assertions stand in contrast to statements she made previously about enjoying her life as a child star. Ricci began her acting career at the age of nine in “Mermaids” (1990). She became a household name for her breakout role as Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family” (1991) and the sequel, “Addams Family Values” (1993).
During a July 2019 interview with People, Ricci said she has no regrets about being a child star. 
“I’ve had some incredible experiences and loved working as a child. I have to say ‘The Addams Family’ movies were two really – they were like glory days for me as a 10 and 12-year-old. Those were great movies to be on,” she said at the time. 
There are many examples of child stars who had drama in their lives. Former child star Amanda Bynes was placed on a psychiatric hold in March 2023 after the actress was found roaming the streets of Los Angeles naked, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-child-star-amanda-bynes-released-from-mental-health-facility-after-reported-naked-incident-in-l-a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. This was the latest in a long string of disturbing incidents over the years, including Bynes being placed under a conservatorship for years.
Speaking of conservatorships, former child star turned pop artist Britney Spears has been making headlines for most of her adult life after launching her career in “The Mickey Mouse Club” at the age of 11. In time, Spears became one of the most celebrated pop culture figures in the world, but this fame had a dark side. Between 2007 and 2008, the pop star shaved her head, assaulted a photographer with an umbrella, lost custody of her two children, and was placed under a conservatorship which lasted 13 years.
There are almost too many examples of child stars gone wrong to mention. Macaulay Culkin, who became famous as a young kid starring in “Home Alone,” took his parents to court to block them from controlling his trust fund.
<div id="attachment_661139" style="width: 384px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-661139" class="size-large wp-image-661139" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-55933066-374x576.jpg" alt="LAS VEGAS - OCTOBER 15: Actor Macaulay Culkin arrives at the launch of the &quot;uBid for Hurricane Relief&quot; charity auction and benefit at the Empire Ballroom October 15, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. All of the proceeds from the auction will be split evenly between the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation, the RockWorks Foundation and the Child Welfare League of America. The organizations will use money raised to help areas in the Gulf Coast devastated by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. The online part of the auction continues on uBid.com through November 1, 2005. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)" width="374" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-55933066-374x576.jpg 374w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-55933066-195x300.jpg 195w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-55933066.jpg 664w" sizes=" (max-width: 374px) 100vw, 374px" />Ethan Miller/Getty Images</div>
Former child star and the daughter of famous parents Drew Barrymore has been open about being exposed to drugs and alcohol at a very young age because of her career. The actress became famous thanks to her role in Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” in 1982 when she was five.
Barrymore is a good example of a former child star who turned her life around after being in some bad situations. But not all young actors are able to escape a terrible fate. Gary Coleman, the kid star of the “Diff&#8217;rent Strokes” (1978-1986) died at the age of 42 following a history of substance abuse and depression.
There will always be a need for child actors, but by the same token, there is a need to protect them from the worst elements of Hollywood. Those who have been there themselves have sounded the alarm, and it’s up to parents and studio executives to heed their warnings.

The 2023 Gotham Awards

‘Too Many Bad Stories’: Former Child Stars Say Hollywood Is Too Dangerous For Kids

'Too Many Bad Stories': Former Child Stars Say Hollywood Is Too Dangerous For Kids

Children

Full House

Movies

Readers Pass

Television

Former child star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natalie-portman">Natalie Portman</a> said she doesn’t think children should work in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">Hollywood</a>, citing potential dangers as one reason why.
“I would not encourage young people to go into this. I don’t mean ever; I mean as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/children">children</a>,” Portman told <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/natalie-portman-may-december-todd-haynes-1235806035/">Variety</a> during a recent interview.
“I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents,” the 42-year-old Academy Award winner continued. “You don’t like it when you’re a kid, and you’re grateful for it when you’re an adult. I’ve heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it.”
The mother of two said it comes down to the fact that kids should spend their childhood doing regular kid things. “Ultimately, I don’t believe that kids should work,” Portman added. “I think kids should play and go to school.”
The actress launched her acting career at the age of 12 when she starred in the action film “Léon: The Professional” (1994). Portman reached superstar status for her portrayal of Padmé Amidala in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999).
Portman won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2010 for her work in the psychological thriller “Black Swan.”
The Israeli-born star previously described being “sexualized” in Hollywood from a young age.
She told Dax Shepard during a 2020 episode of “Armchair Expert” that being on the set of “Leon” at 12 “didn’t allow the full expression of who I was at that time.” 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“Being sexualized as a child took away from my own sexuality because it made me afraid,” Portman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/natalie-portman-reflects-on-being-sexualized-as-a-teenager-it-made-me-afraid">said at the time</a>.
The “Thor” actress said some people “had this impression of me that I was super-serious and prude and conservative as I got older.”
“I consciously cultivated that because it was a way to make me feel safe. If someone respects you, they’re not going to objectify you,” Portman said. “At that age you do have your own sexuality, and you do have your own desire and you do want to explore things … but you don’t feel safe necessarily. You build these fortresses.”

Natalie Portman Says Children Shouldn’t Be Actors: ‘Kids Should Play And Go To School’

Natalie Portman Says Children Shouldn't Be Actors: 'Kids Should Play And Go To School'

U.S.

Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natalie-portman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natalie Portman</a> said there’s a discrepancy between how women are expected to act versus men.
The 41-year-old made the comments while promoting her new film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May December</a>” at the 2023 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cannes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cannes Film Festival</a>.
&#8220;The whole film is so much about performance and the different roles we play in different environments, for different people, for ourselves, even,&#8221; Portman said, explaining how this concept of societal norms segregated by gender is &#8220;something I&#8217;m definitely curious about and interested in.&#8221;
&#8220;This aspect of, even here — the different ways we as women are expected to behave at this festival even compared to men,&#8221; she told reporters at the press conference. &#8220;How we&#8217;re supposed to look, how we&#8217;re supposed to carry ourselves.&#8221;
“The expectations are different on you all the time and it affects how you behave, whether you&#8217;re buying into it, whether you&#8217;re rejecting it, or whether you&#8217;re doing something in between,&#8221; Portman said. &#8220;You&#8217;re definitely defined by the social structures upon you.&#8221;
“May December” is about a couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) getting ready for their children to graduate from high school and go to college, according to <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/natalie-portman-julianne-moore-may-december-first-look-cannes-1235599444/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a>.
Portman plays a young actress who is cast to play Moore’s character in the film version of their lives. She goes to their home to study who they really are, which causes turmoil as she digs into their private sphere. “May December” is directed by Todd Haynes (Carol) and written by co-screenwriters Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik. Portman and Will Ferrell are the producers of the project.
&#8220;An age gap is one thing, but a relationship between an adult and a child is something else entirely,&#8221; Moore said during the panel discussion about her character. &#8220;Her transgression, I believe, personally, is so enormous that she sort of buries it in her own identity, in her own performative femininity.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-4939">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Portman has starred in a wide range of projects over the course of her career. She told GQ in May that she’s willing to return to the “Star Wars” franchise if asked. &#8220;I have no information on this. No one&#8217;s ever asked me to return, but I&#8217;m open to it,&#8221; Portman said of joining any sequels or spinoffs.
The actress portrayed Padme Amidala in the three &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; movies directed by George Lucas in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Natalie Portman Says Women Are ‘Expected To Behave’ Differently Than Men At Cannes And In Life

Natalie Portman Says Women Are 'Expected To Behave' Differently Than Men At Cannes And In Life

Cannes

Women

World

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/apple">Apple TV+</a> series “Lady in the Lake” abruptly stopped filming in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baltimore">Baltimore</a> after crew members were approached by alleged drug dealers and threatened with guns, Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/08/lady-in-the-lake-apple-plus-series-forced-to-halt-production-after-extortion-threats-from-baltimore-locals-1235101762/">reported</a>.
A spokesperson for the Baltimore Police Department said the crew was filming around 4 PM in the downtown area Friday afternoon when several people approached producers. These individuals threatened to come back and shoot someone if the production crew kept filming there. The only way to avoid violence, they said, was by paying a sum of $50,000.
Local news outlet The Baltimore Banner identified the individuals as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drugs">drug dealers</a>&#8221; threatening extortion from the crew. Producers refused to pay the money, which led to the entire production being shut down until they could find a safer location. Other outlets did not speculate on who the individuals making threats were.
The production company Endeavor Content released a statement about the incident. 
“Friday afternoon, on the Baltimore set of our production ‘Lady in the Lake,’ prior to the arrival of the cast and crew, per their call time, a driver on our production crew was confronted by two men, one of whom brandished a gun directed at our driver, and then they fled the location. We are working with the Baltimore Police Department as the investigation is ongoing.” 
“The safety and security of our crew, cast and all who work across our productions is our highest priority, and we are thankful no one was injured,” they continued. “Production will resume with increased security measures going forward.”
“It has been a privilege filming ‘Lady in the Lake’ in Baltimore, working with its vibrant community across many areas,” it said. “Our thanks and appreciation to the City of Baltimore, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the Baltimore Film Office, Maryland Film Office and the Baltimore Police Department for their incredible support as we continue production in the great City of Baltimore and surrounding communities.”
“Lady in the Lake” is based on the book of the same name. The Apple TV+ series stars Academy Award winner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natalie-portman">Natalie Portman</a> and has been filming in Baltimore for several months.
Per the website <a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/03/apple-tv-lands-lady-in-the-lake-starring-academy-award-winners-natalie-portman-and-lupita-nyongo-and-co-written-and-directed-by-alma-harel/">description</a>, the series takes place in 1960s Baltimore. 
There, “an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Lupita Nyong’o), a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.”

ITALY-CINEMA-VENICE-FILM-FESTIVAL-MOSTRA

Apple TV+ Series ‘Lady In The Lake’ Halts Production In Baltimore After Alleged Drug Dealers Threaten Crew With Gun Violence

Apple TV+ Series 'Lady In The Lake' Halts Production In Baltimore After Alleged Drug Dealers Threaten Crew

Apple

Baltimore

Drugs

Gun Violence

Actress Natalie Portman said that her &#8220;Thor: Love and Thunder&#8221; co-star Chris Hemsworth ditched his own meat-heavy diet before they filmed a kissing scene out of consideration for her diet.
According to a Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/natalie-portman-chris-hemsworth-didnt-meat-thor-4-kiss-1235315152/">piece</a> published Tuesday, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/natalie-portman-reflects-on-being-sexualized-as-a-teenager-it-made-me-afraid/">Portman</a> noted that <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-chris-hemsworth-reads-lukes-gospel-paul-bois/">Hemsworth</a> had been eating a relatively carnivorous diet himself — in order to bulk up for the role of the muscle-bound Norse god — but he put that on a brief hold just prior to filming a scene in which they were to kiss.
&#8220;He’s really nice. The day we had a kiss scene he didn’t eat meat that morning because I’m vegan. And he eats meat like every half hour,&#8221; Portman explained, adding that it hadn&#8217;t been something she had even thought to ask of him. &#8220;Like, that was so thoughtful. That’s not something I’m angry about or care about, but he was just being thoughtful. He’s just a very nice person.&#8221;
&#8220;I didn’t even know he could go without eating meat,&#8221; co-star Tessa Thompson replied. &#8220;He’s just like eating bison in the morning. That’s so sweet.&#8221;
Portman has also recently touted the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/i-love-that-natalie-portman-boasts-new-thor-film-is-the-gayest-marvel-movie-yet/">LGBTQ additions</a> to the newest Marvel offering, saying that she loved that anyone — such as film critic Andrew Freund — would refer to it as &#8220;the gayest movie ever made in the MCU.&#8221;
&#8220;I love that reading of it. Yes, I love that,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;I mean, you’re flying on rainbows, or am I imagining it?&#8221; Freund asked.
&#8220;I mean, that is the core of the comics. I feel like that’s where it all started. It’s very true to the source material, I think,&#8221; Portman replied.
Portman also spilled a little additional trivia about the new film, saying that one of the &#8220;most visually beautiful scenes&#8221; was actually shot in an unexpected locale.
&#8220;There’s one scene that’s one of the most visually beautiful scenes I’ve seen on film, and we shot in real life in a Best Buy parking lot,&#8221; the actress explained. &#8220;It’s so wild to be on this size of movie, and we were literally in a parking lot with a blue screen, doing this really dramatic thing. It looks so stunning on film, but every time I see it, I’m like, &#8216;That’s a Best Buy parking lot.'&#8221;
&nbsp;

“Thor: Love and Thunder” Rome Photocall

Natalie Portman Says ‘Thor’ Star Dumped His Carnivore Diet Before Kiss Scene: ‘Because I’m Vegan’

Natalie Portman Says Chris Hemsworth Dumped Carnivore Diet Before Kiss Scene Because She's Vegan

Marvel

“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Thor: Love and Thunder</a>” is making waves at the box office, but now fans are engaged in a Twitter war over whether the film needs a trigger warning due to some emotional moments. 
The scene in question depicts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natalie-portman">Natalie Portman</a>’s character, scientist Jane Foster, finding out she has stage four <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cancer">cancer</a>. The character then puts on a superhero suit and becomes Thor, New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/12/thor-4-viewers-want-trigger-warning-for-one-particular-scene">reported</a>. Jane later goes through chemotherapy.
The whole cancer storyline in “Thor 4” is traumatic for some viewers to such an extent that they’re asking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marvel">Marvel</a> to include a trigger warning on the content.
“No spoilers, but Thor: Love and Thunder SHOULD have had a trigger warning for graphic depiction of cancer and the fact that we didn&#8217;t know going in is atrocious,” one fan <a href="https://twitter.com/xavmoir/status/1544599919235055616">tweeted</a>.
“It practically ruined any ability for me to emotionally care about the movie since I felt like I had to shut off any feelings off to protect myself from connecting with the content and needing to leave part way through,” another user <a href="https://twitter.com/xavmoir/status/1544687733788278784">replied</a> to the original poster.
This led to a significant backlash; however, other fans were left rolling their eyes and saying people are too sensitive.
“Sorry, kids. A movie studio is under no obligation to give you a trigger warning that spoils the film for everyone JUST IN CASE. You have the internet. Read the spoilers if you’re that worried about it. #Thor,” one person <a href="https://twitter.com/davidcroberson/status/1546795019515871232">wrote</a>.
“As a cancer survivor, I find this extremely stupid,” someone else <a href="https://twitter.com/marvelousmeshel/status/1546648762470342657">agreed</a>.
“Peoples reactions to the suggestions of trigger warnings for Thor truly make me realise how cold, disgusting, and cruel humans can be,” one person mused about the <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidOsgar/status/1546479962160496641">response</a>. “People deserve to know what emotions they want to feel when going to potentially have a good time at the movies.”
“This is sickening and yet at the same time, not surprised by those responses,” another person <a href="https://twitter.com/kehenulo/status/1546482984085344259">said</a>. “People now act with a sense of entitlement that routinely excludes others&#8217; disabilities or lived experiences. Insensitive gatekeeping at its finest.”
Portman made headlines recently for celebrating that “Thor 4” was the “gayest” Marvel movie to date. “I love that,” she said when a film critic brought it up, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-love-that-natalie-portman-boasts-new-thor-film-is-the-gayest-marvel-movie-yet">The Daily Wire</a>.
However, these LGBT themes will likely lead to the superhero film being banned in China. The country has yet to set a release date for “Love and Thunder” and sources predict they probably never will.

Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love And Thunder” G.O.A.T. Marathon Hosted By Nerdist At El Capitan Theatre

‘Thor 4’ Fans Battle Over Whether Emotional Scene Needs A Trigger Warning

'Thor 4' Fans Battle Over Whether Emotional Scene Needs A Trigger Warning

Cancer

Actress Natalie Portman last week boasted that &#8220;Thor: Love and Thunder&#8221; is the Marvel Cinematic Universe&#8217;s (MCU) &#8220;gayest&#8221; film to date.
Film critic Andrew Freund asked Portman, who stars in the movie, if it is &#8220;the gayest movie ever made in the MCU?”
“I love that reading of it,&#8221; the actress responded with a smile. &#8220;Yes, I love that.”
“I mean, you’re flying on rainbows, or am I imagining it?” Freund asked.
“I mean, that is the core of the comics,&#8221; Portman argued. &#8220;I feel like that’s where it all started. It’s very true to the source material, I think.”
Freund later gushed that he &#8220;thought the movie was awesome,&#8221; adding, &#8220;and I loved how gay it was!&#8221;
A rather rough <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/thor-love-and-thunder-1235175416/">review</a> of the film published by The Hollywood Reporter noted the so-called queer inclusion in &#8220;Thor: Love and Thunder,&#8221; which is set to hit theaters on Friday.
&#8220;Even the inclusion of queer characters — Valkyrie pines for the love of her lost warrior sister; Korg reveals that his species mates with other males to make baby rock monsters — seems more like pandering representation than anything vitally grounded in the storytelling,&#8221; film critic David Rooney wrote.
Rooney said the movie &#8220;feels weightless, flippant, instantly forgettable, sparking neither love nor thunder.&#8221;
Staying in the same &#8220;diversity&#8221; vein, Freund asked Portman in the same interview how she felt about &#8220;little girls wearing &#8216;mighty Thor&#8217; costumes.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s incredible, it&#8217;s such a privilege to be in that world,&#8221; the &#8220;Black Swan&#8221; actress said, The Direct <a href="https://thedirect.com/article/thor-4-natalie-portman-marvel-movie-gayest">reported</a>. &#8220;And it’s so wonderful also, to be in an era where there’s so many female superheroes that I think girls don’t have to be like, ‘Oh, there’s one girl one and that’s the one I am.’&#8221;
&#8220;There’s like so many that they can choose from and relate to based on their personality, or their you know superpowers, or even their weaknesses that like they can figure out who they fit with as a human, and not just feel like they have to find their demographic like, you know, alignment,&#8221; the 41-year-old added.
Notably, Disney/Pixar injected a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idiots-actor-chris-evans-slams-critics-who-dont-want-gay-kiss-in-toy-story-spinoff">gay kiss</a> between two female characters in &#8220;Toy Story&#8221; spinoff &#8220;Lightyear.&#8221; The kids movie underperformed at the box office, bringing in a <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2022/06/18/nolte-disneys-big-gay-lightyear-is-latest-woke-box-office-flop/">total</a> of roughly $51 million in its three-day opening.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="CHRISTIAN BALE scared people in his &quot;Thor&quot; makeup!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e4yaxEm9hJA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced</a> plans for kids’ entertainment content.)
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hes-a-republican-disney-replaced-tim-allen-in-lightyear-for-political-views-fox-news-host-husband-say">‘He’s A Republican’: Disney Replaced Tim Allen In ‘Lightyear’ For Political Views, Fox News Host, Husband Say</a>

“Thor: Love And Thunder” UK Gala Screening – Arrivals

‘I Love That’: Natalie Portman Boasts New ‘Thor’ Film Is The ‘Gayest’ Marvel Movie Yet

Natalie Portman Confirms New ‘Thor’ Film Is The ‘Gayest’ Marvel Movie Yet

LGBTQ

Actress Natalie Portman raised eyebrows this week when she narrated a video for NowThis, presenting “the story” of Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler. Given its source, the video — which lasts for almost ten minutes — is unsurprisingly critical of Loeffler, focusing on the Senator “posing with a KKK leader, making shady stock deals, and,” perhaps most disgustingly of all, “refusing to recognize Biden’s win.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kelly Loeffler has been in the news for posing with a KKK leader, making shady stock deals, and refusing to recognize Biden’s win. Ahead of Loeffler’s runoff, Natalie Portman explains how the former Wall St. exec became Georgia senator without actually being elected <a href="https://t.co/we1Cgft7mi">pic.twitter.com/we1Cgft7mi</a>
&mdash; NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) <a href="https://twitter.com/nowthisimpact/status/1338894841296478208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the upcoming Georgia runoff elections on January 5th, Loeffler’s opponent is Raphael Warnock. With Portman’s narration standing as a pseudo-endorsement of Warnock, many have criticized Natalie Portman for her support of an anti-Semite.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Shame on Natalie Portman for supporting an antisemite like Reverend Warnock. <a href="https://t.co/ho77czw5Tn">https://t.co/ho77czw5Tn</a>
&mdash; Ami Horowitz (@AmiHorowitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmiHorowitz/status/1338884279837847552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When NowThis <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/natalie-portman-ed-helms-nowthis-who-is-georgia-runoff-loeffler-perdue-videos/">announced</a> that Natalie Portman would “tell the story” of Loeffler — with fellow actor Ed Helms doing the same in a video on Sen. David Perdue — a familiar question appeared in the Twittersphere: is it anti-Semitic to support an anti-Semite? 
The answer? Yes, but also, no.
By the Left’s own logic of “silence is violence,” there is a transitive property applied to bigots. If you support someone they view as an enemy — or even simply fail to condemn their “evil” in a manner deemed appropriate by the Left — then you too are an enemy. With this calculus, if Donald Trump is a white supremacist and you voted for Trump, you are therefore also a white supremacist.
If we assume this flawed concept to be true, by the Left’s own standards, Natalie Portman is an anti-Semite. After all, Warnock is — by <a href="https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism">definition</a> — an anti-Semite. He has praised Jeremiah Wright, an outspoken anti-Semite; he pushed an anti-Semitic blood libel comparing Israelis to “birds of prey”; and he compared Israel to apartheid South Africa and Communist East Germany. By the Left’s own reasoning, if Warnock is an anti-Semite, and Portman supports him, she is an anti-Semite.
Let’s acknowledge that the Left’s “the friend of my enemy is my enemy” logic is utter nonsense. Firstly, Portman is Jewish, and was born in Israel. While it is possible for Jews — whether ethnic or cultural — to be anti-Semitic, it’s intellectually lazy to presume that any criticism of, say, Israeli policy by an Israeli Jew is <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israeli-minister-portman-s-netanyahu-boycott-borders-on-anti-semitism-1.6014423">rooted in anti-Semitism</a>. Secondly, to judge the character of one person solely by the most flawed aspects of someone they associate with is a rejection of both individualism and moral perspective.
Instead, we should ask questions. Sure, Portman — as a Democrat — is unlikely to support a Republican in a Senate race that has national implications. Assuming our binary system of politics, some may then assume that she must therefore support any opponent of any Republican. However, there is a third option, which is to support neither candidate and lobby for a Democratic nominee with more palatable — in other words, less anti-Semitic — views.
Given that Portman is openly Jewish — and her faith and heritage is important to her — we should then ask why her distaste for Republicans outweighs her distaste for anti-Semites. By openly supporting Warnock with — we must assume — full knowledge of his history, Portman has made her priorities clear. Politics first, Jews second. On the surface, this may not be overtly anti-Semitic, but it’s certainly “anti-Semitism adjacent.”
To escape understandable accusations of anti-Semitism in this instance, Portman needs to explain why defeating the GOP is more important than defeating anti-Semitism. She better have a good answer.
Ian Haworth is host of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPxdVsNp7k&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuTQRVv1IOVMnA735vEYO0f5">The Ian Haworth Show</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E05t2L69Sks&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuRHu5r0IV5qr4h2rBAV9oBd">The Truth in 60 Seconds</a>. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Natalie Portman: Does Supporting Raphael Warnock Make Her An Anti-Semite? Yes, And No.

Anti-Semitism

Kelly Loeffler

Raphael Warnock

Actress Natalie Portman recently reflected on some of the edgier teenage roles she played in the early part of her career, saying the roles made her feel afraid and took away from her own sexuality.
Speaking with Dax Sheppard on his podcast &#8220;The Armchair Expert,&#8221; Portman said she felt torn between a wide variety of emotions during that period of time.
&#8220;Being sexualized I think took away from my own sexuality because it made me afraid,&#8221; she said, as reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/natalie-portman-sexualized-teenage-actress-afraid">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a complicated thing. You&#8217;re told as a girl and a woman that you&#8217;re supposed to want that and it&#8217;s a good thing people thinking you&#8217;re attractive or people thinking you&#8217;re sexy or beautiful or precocious, like these words we use around young girls in particular. Then it&#8217;s complicated because it doesn&#8217;t make you necessarily feel good or always feel safe,&#8221; she said.
As time went on, Portman said people began getting wrong impressions of her as she began shielding herself.
&#8220;It made me feel like the way I could be safe is I&#8217;m conservative and I&#8217;m serious and you should respect me, and I&#8217;m smart,&#8221; Portman said. &#8220;Whereas [at] that age, you do have your own sexuality and you do have your own desire and you do want to explore things&#8230;but you don&#8217;t feel safe necessarily when there&#8217;s older men interested.&#8221;
&#8220;So many people had this impression of me that I was super serious and prude and conservative as I get older. I realized I consciously cultivated that because it was ways to make me feel safe, like, oh, if someone respects you they&#8217;re not going to objectify you,&#8221; she added.
Natalie Portman has been open about her experience as a child star ever since the #MeToo movement took the world by storm. Speaking with <a href="https://people.com/movies/natalie-portman-sexualized-child-star-vox-lux/">PEOPLE </a>in 2018, she talked about her experience as a child star being sexualized by people who should have known better.
“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 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.”
“I know I was sexualized in the ways that I was photographed or portrayed, and that was not my doing,” she said. “That becomes a part of your public identity.”
Portman previously <a href="http://time.com/5111739/natalie-portman-times-up-womens-march-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">revealed</a> that her first piece of fan mail was another man’s rape fantasy.
The actress got her start at age 13 in “The Professional,” where she depicted an orphaned teenage girl who expresses sexual feelings toward a much older man. While the U.S. theatrical release depicted the relationship between Portman’s character, Mathilda, and Leon, played by Jean Reno, as being platonic in nature, the European version suggested something more.
In one deleted scene, Mathilda tries giving Leon a kiss at a fancy dinner; in another <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGa0CUJAarU">much more troubling scene</a>, her character offers up her virginity to him. While the pubescent Mathilda’s sexual desire for Leon was a portrayal arguably in line with the character’s background (she came from an abusive household), the scene takes a disturbing turn when Leon rejects her sexual advances due to his lack of self-confidence from a past tragedy, not her sexual immaturity. “I won’t be a good lover,” he even tells her.

92nd Annual Academy Awards – Arrivals

Natalie Portman Reflects On Being Sexualized As A Teenager: ‘It Made Me Afraid’

Sexuality

Included in an apologetic message recognizing her own so-called &#8220;white privilege,&#8221; actress Natalie Portman took to Instagram on Tuesday to call for the defunding of police in the United States, whom the 39-year-old trashed as racist killers.
&#8220;When I first heard #DefundThePolice, I have to admit my first reaction was fear,&#8221; Portman started the post. &#8220;My whole life, police have made me feel safe.&#8221;
But that was her &#8220;white privilege&#8221; talking, Portman apparently came to understand: &#8220;But that’s exactly the center of my white privilege: the police make me as a white woman feel safe, while my black friends, family and neighbors feel the opposite: police make them feel terror,&#8221; she said.
Black folks allegedly feel &#8220;terror&#8221; when police are around for &#8220;good reason,&#8221; Portman wrote. &#8220;Police are the 6th leading cause of death for black men in this country,&#8221; she said.
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/lcod/men/2016/nonhispanic-black/index.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), the top six causes of death for black males in the U.S. are heart disease (23.7%), cancer (20.9%), unintentional injuries (7.4%), homicide (5.1%), stroke (4.8%), and diabetes (4.1%). In 2019, a total of nine unarmed black men were killed by on-duty police officers, per The Washington Post.
&#8220;These are not isolated incidents,&#8221; claimed Portman. &#8220;They are patterns and part of the system of over-policing of black Americans. Reforms have not worked.&#8221;
&#8220;Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, is one of the most progressive police forces in the country, having undergone extensive anti-bias training,&#8221; the actress noted. &#8220;I am grateful to the leaders in the <a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/mvmnt4blklives/">@mvmnt4blklives</a> who have made us question the status quo. And who have made us imagine, what a world could be like in which we invested in nourishing people; (in their education, healthcare, environment, shelter) — rather than putting all of our money into punishment.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ve gotten to the age in my life, where if my gut feels uncomfortable, I take the situation as wrong. But this concept initially made me uncomfortable because I was wrong,&#8221; she concluded. &#8220;Because the system that makes me feel comfortable is wrong. <a class=" xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/defendblacklives/">#defendblacklives</a><a class=" xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/defundthepolice/">#defundthepolice</a>.&#8221;
Portman is one of many &#8220;woke&#8221; actresses in the biz. In February, for example, the &#8220;Black Swan&#8221; star wore a high-end gown and cape to the Oscars that included the names of female directors who were apparently “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/natalie-portmans-girl-power-oscar-dress-sparks-mockery">snubbed</a>” from receiving nominations at the award show.
“I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way,” she explained on the red carpet, wearing the pricey dress.
Portman made a similar statement in 2018 while presenting the 2018 Golden Globes award for best director. “<a href="https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/950206215623147520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeednews.com%2Farticle%2Fkrystieyandoli%2Fnatalie-portman-threw-shade-at-the-golden-globes-all-male">And here are the all-male nominees</a>,” she pointedly announced.
Portman is a multimillionaire who can easily afford private security in a safe neighborhood, though this &#8220;privilege&#8221; was never recognized in the post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBMK4o_jWrt/?utm_source=ig_embed
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/natalie-portmans-girl-power-oscar-dress-sparks-mockery">Natalie Portman’s ‘Girl Power’ Oscar Dress Sparks Mockery</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Natalie Portman Calls To Defund Police In Message Trashing Cops, Recognizing Her ‘White Privilege’

Defund The Police

White Privilege

Menu