Natalie Portman Controversy Leads To Moby Cancelling Book Tour
The musician had been criticized for misrepresenting his relationship with Portman
Moby has confirmed that his tour is canceled due to a controversy with Natalie Portman.
The controversy started from his depiction of his relationship with Natalie Portman in his new memoir, Then It Fell Apart. This lead to the cancelation of Moby’s upcoming UK book tour. In a note posted to Instagram, the electronica artist added he planned on “going away for a while”. Also, later apologizing to anyone he misrepresented in his book.
A post on Moby’s website states that he has “canceled all upcoming public appearances for the foreseeable future”. Tickets will be refunded for the UK and Ireland tours. Furthermore, Moby agreed to sign bookplates to anyone who bought tickets to the engagements.
Meanwhile, over on Instagram, Moby took responsibility for how this controversy played out. “I want to apologize again, and to say clearly that all of this has been my own fault,” he wrote.
“I am the one who released the book without showing it to the people I wrote about. I’m the one who posted defensively and arrogantly. I’m the one who behaved inconsiderately and disrespectfully, both in 2019 and in 1999. There is obviously no one else to blame but me.”
The final decision to cancel comes four days after apologizing to Natalie Portman. This lead to a withdraw from social media and speaking events. In a series of posts, Moby expressed regret for how “inconsiderate” he was. Inconsiderate in both his presentation of his interactions and his response to her reaction. All of which occurred 20 years ago when she was 18 and Moby was 33.
Defensiveness
Portman defined her interactions with the older musician as “inappropriate” and “creepy.” Moby initially got defensive.
“I completely respect Natalie’s possible regret in dating me (to be fair, I would probably regret dating me, too),” he wrote on social media, “but it doesn’t alter the actual facts of our brief romantic history.”
Moby later backtracked, apologizing to everyone he wrote about in Then It Fell Apart. Regarding Portman specifically, he acknowledged that “given the dynamic of our almost 14 year age difference I absolutely should have acted more responsibly and respectfully.”
Moby claimed Portman flirted with him in his dressing room when he was 33 and she was 20. Moby was quoted as saying he tried to date the actress in the early 2000s. Portman, who is now 37, denied it all in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. Portman stated she had just turned 18 when the two met.
“I was surprised to hear that he characterized the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school.”
Moby initially hit back, saying he was not a liar and had photographic evidence to back up his story.
Read Moby’s latest full statement below.
Moby will now be laying low from all media platforms in the meantime. After openly stating that it is all his fault and thoughtfully apologizing. The next step in the conflict is unknown but anything can happen next.
