Children in the spotlight have not always received fair treatment from the media, particularly young girls. Nonetheless, many have confronted them about it, either at the time or years later. Similar to Natalie Portman, who allegedly felt the need to cover her body when she was 13 years old due to “s*xual terrorism”.
At the age of twelve, Portman made her acting debut in the action movie, Léon: The Professional in 1994. The actress, who was a mainstay of the entertainment business for many years, quickly became a national treasure. Many characters have come to life thanks to her amazing talent.
The actress, who is now 42, was not your typical person, by any means.
Mathilda Lando, the character she played in her first movie, was a complex young girl with a completely unique character that an adolescent should not have been able to develop unless she was exceptionally talented in her field.
Natalie Portman Felt the Need to Cover Her Body
The Academy Award–winning actress, Natalie Portman first opened up about a little-known struggle she faced while establishing her career in Hollywood.
Portman, who gained recognition for her highly regarded roles in films such as Black Swan and Jackie, acknowledged that her early experiences in the entertainment industry caused her to doubt her own value.
She portrayed a young girl in Leon: The Professional who befriends a hitman. Considering that Portman was only 12 when she was cast in the role, her performance was astounding. But the young actress was reportedly being s*xualized by the public and media by the time she was 13 years old.
Her initial fan letter was a “r*pe fantasy,” according to CNN. She was only thirteen. Teenagehood is difficult enough without having everyone comment on how your body is changing. Portman indeed experienced that. During the 2018 Women’s March, she discussed it.
She informed the audience:
“Movie reviewers talked about my budding breasts in reviews. I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself s*xually, I would feel unsafe and that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort.”
Portman’s situation did not get any better as she grew older. Even though she kept performing in her field, she did not feel like herself as she told Women’s March participants:
“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.”
She Called This Behavior ‘S*xual Terrorism’
Something so violent and unstable can be very detrimental to a young, creative mind.
Following the success of her film career, Natalie Portman still had to deal with the trauma of having to confront those threats, despite the fact that she remained steadfast in her craft and kept giving strong performances.
According to Portman, a radio station even started a countdown to her 18th birthday, at which point she would become “legal.” They effectively acknowledged that they were s*xualizing a child by doing this. This is what the Black Swan actress referred to as “s*xual terrorism.”
She stated at the Women’s March:
“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 s*xual terrorism.”
As regrettable as it may be, children in Hollywood often experience this kind of s*xualization. It might be possible to stop this kind of behavior by pointing it out. In a segment of Dax Shepard‘s podcast, Armchair Expert, the actress stated that her viewpoint changed following her teenage roles in Léon: The Professional and Beautiful Girls:
“It took away from my own s*xuality because it made me afraid, and it made me [feel] like the way I could be safe was to be like, ‘I’m conservative’ and ‘I’m serious and you should respect me’ and ‘I’m smart’ and ‘Don’t look at me that way.’”
By sharing her experience so openly, Portman is paving the way for a more understanding and supportive Hollywood, where brilliance and sincerity are cherished above all else. Along with being an outspoken supporter of environmental and animal rights causes, the actress also speaks out about US and Israeli politics.
Source- Women’s March
