Hollywood actress Natalie Portman, who relocated from Los Angeles to Paris long ago, has bought a 550-square-metre mansion in the French capital for €15.2 million. The four-storey property bought by the actor in 2023 was built in 1912, and had previously served as an embassy before being turned into a private residence. The property is located not far from the iconic Eiffel Tower. According to Architectural Digest, it comprises a garden, gym, library, wine cellar, and a reception room covered by a glass roof. The house underwent a major renovation before Portman bought it.The purchase was reported by French publication Madame Figaroin in 2024, citing an earlier report by Challenges. Portman’s property is located in the Champ-de-Mars area, close to one of Paris’s best-known landmarks. Although the actress had already spent several years living in the French capital, this purchase gave her a separate residence in a neighbourhood where she had previously rented an apartment.The transaction took place months before Portman and her former husband, French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, finalised their divorce in February 2024. The couple had lived in Paris with their two children after moving to the city in 2016. Their rented apartment was only a short distance from the mansion that Portman later bought.What makes the property different from many other celebrity homes is its past. It was not originally built as a modern luxury residence. Over more than a century, the building had been used for different purposes, including as an embassy in the 1980s. Its transformation into a private mansion came later, following a change in ownership and extensive restoration work.
How a former embassy became a luxury residence
The building’s renovation was carried out under French businessman Yves Vatelot, who acquired it in the 1990s. Vatelot, an entrepreneur associated with the wine industry, oversaw the restoration of the property, which eventually became a four-storey private home.According to Architectural Digest France, the mansion retained several features associated with its original architecture even after being modernised. Among them is a wrought-iron staircase connecting the floors. A lift was also installed, providing another way to move between the different levels of the house.The property was subsequently offered for sale through French real estate agency Philippe Menager-Nicolas Hug.The renovation also gave different floors their own functions. The mansion contains separate areas for exercise, reading, entertaining guests and spending time outdoors.
What is inside Natalie Portman’s €15.2 million home?
One of the main features of the house is a reception room on the fourth floor. Unlike a conventional living room, this space has a glass roof that allows daylight to enter from above. Photographs released by the property agency show the room beneath the glass structure, with views of the surrounding city available from the upper level.The mansion also has a gym on the ground floor. Other facilities include a library and a wine cellar, along with a dining area and several private rooms. The interiors were designed to retain the character of the older building while providing the facilities of a modern residence.The mansion also includes a patio, garden and terrace, giving its occupants access to open areas despite its central Paris location. The terrace provides views across the French capital.The four floors are connected by both the staircase and the lift. With a total area of 550 square metres, the property has enough space to accommodate its various facilities.
Why the location is significant
Portman’s mansion stands in Paris’s seventh arrondissement, an area that includes the Eiffel Tower and the Champ-de-Mars gardens. The neighbourhood is known for its historic properties and has attracted several wealthy international residents.Other prominent property owners in the area include Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum and French property developer Olivier Mitterrand, who is the nephew of former French President François Mitterrand.
