A report by Unherd writer Valerie Stivers has suggested that novelist Rachel Cusk's forthcoming book, "Life of M," may be a thinly disguised portrait of her friend Natalie Portman, drawing on "chatter in New York literary circles." The novel, due for release on 25 August 2026, follows a famous actress named M and a writer commissioned to document her life, and the claim matters because it raises questions about consent and portrayal when a close personal relationship is turned into fiction, particularly given Portman's public enthusiasm for Cusk's earlier work.

Stivers, who says she obtained a pre-publication copy, notes that "M's key biographical information is very similar to Portman's" and suggests the book's ending reflects the actress's real dissatisfaction and sense of betrayal at the finished result. Portman has previously praised Cusk's writing, citing her Outline Trilogy in a 2021 Elle interview, but the Hollywood Reporter notes representatives for Portman have not yet commented on the claims.