Natalie Portman reportedly finds Rachel Cusk’s new novel Life of M “annoying”, while people close to the actress have disputed claims that she and the author were close friends.

Sources told Page Six that Portman and Cusk have only met a handful of times and do not regularly socialise. The comments come amid speculation that Cusk’s fictional movie star, M, was closely based on Portman’s life.

The similarities between M and Portman have fuelled the discussion surrounding the novel. Like Portman, M became famous as a child, is associated with a major brand, lives in a European capital, has a strong interest in books and stars in a ballet film.

Another parallel involves M preparing extensively for a ballet role. Portman trained for her performance as Nina Sayers in Black Swan, which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2011.

Portman has publicly supported Cusk’s writing for years, selecting her work for Natalie’s Book Club and interviewing her about Second Place. She also selected Cusk’s Parade for her book club in 2024. However, sources told Page Six that the literary connection should not be interpreted as evidence of a close personal friendship.