Rachel Cusk’s upcoming novel Life of M is drawing attention for the ways readers say it appears to echo Natalie Portman’s life and career, according to E! News.
The novel, due out Aug. 25, follows a writer in a European city who begins writing a partly fictional autobiography about an actress friend known as M. In the book, M is described as someone who is always performing and has no real home or history.
Reviewers have pointed to several similarities between the character and Portman, including the setting in Paris, M’s involvement in a ballet-related film, and references that resemble Portman’s work in Black Swan and Vox Lux. The character also has two large dogs and a strained relationship with a man some have linked to Portman’s former husband, Benjamin Millepied.
According to E! News, speculation has grown as the book’s release approaches, though there is no confirmed evidence of a close relationship between Cusk and Portman. The outlet also noted that anonymous sources have said Portman is unhappy with the book and the suggestion that she cooperated with it.
