Natalie Portman Reveals How Rihanna Boosted Her Confidence After Benjamin Millepied Divorce: 'It Was a Formative Moment'

Natalie Portman had Rihanna to thank for giving her a confidence boost when she needed it most.

During a Monday, July 15, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , the Black Swan actress, 43, revealed what the music icon, 36, told her earlier this year during Paris Fashion Week outside of the Dior couture runway show months after her split from Benjamin Millepied .

"It was an amazing experience for me," Portman told Jimmy Fallon about the January meetup with Rihanna. "I think every woman going through a divorce should get to have Rihanna say to her that she's a bad b----."

According to the Jackie alum, the "Stay" artist told her she was "f------ fan" of her work. "'You are one of the hottest b------ in Hollywood forever,'" Portman recalled Rihanna telling her. "You do the most innocent look and I'm like, 'Ugh!' It was a formative moment in my life."

During a separate interview on the Today show earlier that day, the mother-of-two continued to gush over the interaction. "It’s exactly what I needed at that moment in my life, and she served it to me, and I’m forever grateful," Portman explained.

As OK! previously reported , the Oscar winner and her former spouse, 47, who share son Aleph , 13, and daughter Amalia , 7, finalized their divorce in March after Millepied was allegedly having an affair with activist Camille Étienne .

"She wasn’t prepared for this breakup at all and has been totally destroyed by it. She was the one who wanted the divorce, but that was only after Benjamin betrayed her," an insider said of the demise of the former couple's romance. "She’s now trying to pick up the pieces and has hired a coach who specializes in divorce to help her through."

"They’re doing everything from helping her improve her communication with Benjamin so they can co-parent the best way possible going forward, to helping her work through the emotional turmoil, to creating an action plan for building her new single life. Her coach is very expensive — Natalie is spending something like $10K a month. But she says it’s worth it because she has someone guiding her through the most difficult time of her life," the source added.

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No matter what, the ex-duo has remained committed to successfully coparenting for the sake of their kiddos. "Her biggest priority has been ensuring a smooth transition for her children. She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important," the insider noted.