There is a really good reason why Oscar winning actress Natalie Portman skipped the recently concluded Academy Awards. 

“Natalie Portman and her husband Benjamin Millepied welcomed a baby girl, Amalia Millepied, on Feb. 22,” a representative told People. 

Portman was honored with her third nomination for an Oscar in this year’s ceremony for playing the part of Former First Lady Jackie Onassis in Jackie. 

She sent out a statement stating that she would be skipping the star studded event and it reads “Due to my pregnancy, I am unable to attend the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards. I feel so lucky to be honoured among my fellow nominees and wish them the most beautiful of weekends.”

She of course lost out to Emma Stone who won for La La Land, but then again she probably does not mind since she received a far better gift with the birth of her little bundle of joy! 

Amalia is her second child and first daughter with husband Benjamin Millepied. They are already parents to five year old son, Aleph.

Benjamin and Natalie first met in 2009 on the set of Black Swan. Portman’s role in the movie as a psychologically disturbed ballerina, would prove to be be doubly fortunate, since it brought her an Academy Award for Best Actress as well as a loving husband!

Millepied who is a gifted ballet dancer, choreographed the dances in the movie as well as playing the part of the male principal dancer. The couple were married in a Jewish ceremony in 2012 in California. 

Natalie Portman is known for being private and initially did not make any announcement about the impending pregnancy. But during an appearance at the 2016 Venice Film Festival in September, the actress could not hide her baby bump any longer. 

“I thought I was gonna be able to hide it a little longer and then we got there and I was like, ‘It’s not hide-able any more… The stomach wants to be out…’” she said during an appearance in The Tonight Show.

Still though, she still appeared gorgeous and most importantly happy with that baby bump. Congratulations on your new child!