Natalie Portman Felt 'Uncomfortable' Supporting The Campaign To Defund The Police

Natalie Portman has revealed that she was really scared to support the “Defund The Police” initiative, but then some people helped her change her mind.

Taking it to Instagram, the 39-year-old actress shared a message to her 7 million followers and explained how uncomfortable she was to support a campaign. Portman further stated she was “initially” apprehensive about the initiative due to her “white privilege.”

“When I first heard #defundthepolice, I have to admit my first reaction was fear. My whole life, police have made me feel safe. But that's exactly the center of my white privilege. The police make me as a white woman feel safe, while my black friends, family, and neighbors feel the opposite: police make them feel terror. Police are the 6th leading cause of death for black men in this country. These are not isolated incidents. Reforms have not worked,” Portman wrote.

Later in the post, the Academy Award-winning actress also expressed gratitude toward the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, for they helped her change her stance.

“I am grateful to the leaders in the @mvmnt4blklives who have made us question the status quo. And who have made us imagine, what a world could be like in which we invested in nourishing people; (in their education, healthcare, environment, shelter)-- rather than putting all of our money into punishment (sic),” Portman wrote.

The Hollywood A-lister concluded her post by admitting that she is now determined to stand with the black community and hear their stories.

“I take the situation as wrong. But this concept initially made me uncomfortable because I was wrong. Because the system that makes me feel comfortable is wrong,” Portman said.

In the simpler terms, “defund the police” means that the funds allocated to various police departments should be reduced and the money should be redirected toward the poor communities of color through public services.

Apart from Portman, a lot of celebrities have also joined hands in supporting the “Defund The Police” movement. Lizzo, Jane Fonda, Taraji P. Henson, John Legend, The Weeknd, America Ferrera, Brie Larson, and Megan Rapinoe are some of the notable personalities who have signed an open letter for a decrease in the police budget.