London:
Director Darren Aronofsky is the latest celeb to defend Natalie Portman amid allegations that a dance double performed most of the complicated ballet moves in Black Swan, which earned the actress an Oscar.
Portman won the Best Actress Academy award for her role as a troubled dancer but the latest controversy has cast a shadow on her performance.
American Ballet Theatre star Sarah Lane has claimed that only five per cent of the ballet scenes were done by Portman, but Aronofsky has rubbished her claims.
Earlier, Portman's fiance and the film's choreographer Benjamin Millepied and studio bosses at Fox Searchlight had come to her defence.
Aronofsky, who directed the actress in the movie, has spoken out to silence Portman's critics, saying, "Here is the reality. I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are Natalie Portman untouched. 28 are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math that's 80 per cent Natalie Portman."
He, however, admits that digital techniques were used twice during editing, to superimpose Portman's face over Lane's.
"There are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement," he added.
Portman, who is expecting her first child with Millepied, has kept mum on the controversy, which is getting bigger by the day.
But Aronofsky is adamant that the credit should not be taken away from her.
"Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance. And I don't want anyone to think that's not her they are watching. It is," he said.
Portman's co-star Mila Kunis has also slammed the claims saying, "I think it's unfortunate that this is coming out and taking attention away from what Natalie deserved and got."
Portman won the Best Actress Academy award for her role as a troubled dancer but the latest controversy has cast a shadow on her performance.
American Ballet Theatre star Sarah Lane has claimed that only five per cent of the ballet scenes were done by Portman, but Aronofsky has rubbished her claims.
Earlier, Portman's fiance and the film's choreographer Benjamin Millepied and studio bosses at Fox Searchlight had come to her defence.
Aronofsky, who directed the actress in the movie, has spoken out to silence Portman's critics, saying, "Here is the reality. I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are Natalie Portman untouched. 28 are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math that's 80 per cent Natalie Portman."
He, however, admits that digital techniques were used twice during editing, to superimpose Portman's face over Lane's.
"There are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement," he added.
Portman, who is expecting her first child with Millepied, has kept mum on the controversy, which is getting bigger by the day.
But Aronofsky is adamant that the credit should not be taken away from her.
"Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance. And I don't want anyone to think that's not her they are watching. It is," he said.
Portman's co-star Mila Kunis has also slammed the claims saying, "I think it's unfortunate that this is coming out and taking attention away from what Natalie deserved and got."
