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Mike Huckabee slams Natalie Portman for pregnancy

"People see a Natalie Portman who boasts, 'we're not married but we're having these children and they're doing just fine," Huckabee told radio host Michael Medved on his show Monday.
/ Source: Us Weekly

She won over the Academy, but Natalie Portman doesn't have a fan in presidential prospect Mike Huckabee.

The former Arkansas governor and Fox News Channel host attacked the best actress winner, 29, who's currently expecting her first child with fiance Benjamin Millepied.

"People see a Natalie Portman who boasts, 'we're not married but we're having these children and they're doing just fine," Huckabee told radio host Michael Medved on his show Monday. "I think it gives a distorted image. It's unfortunate that we glorify and glamorize the idea of out-of- wedlock children."

Calling Portman's pregnancy "troubling," Huckabee went on to say that many single parents don't have the resources to hire help, the way someone like the "Black Swan" star would.

"Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care," he said. "And that's the story that we're not seeing."

Huckabee released a statement attempting to clarify his remarks on Friday. "In a recent media interview about my new book, 'A Simple Government,' I discussed the first chapter, 'The Most Important Form of Government Is a Father, Mother, and Children.' I was asked about Oscar-winner Natalie Portman's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Natalie is an extraordinary actor, very deserving of her recent Oscar and I am glad she will marry her baby's father. However, contrary to what the Hollywood media reported, I did not 'slam' or 'attack' Natalie Portman, nor did I criticize the hardworking single mothers in our country.

"My comments were about the statistical reality that most single moms are very poor, under-educated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death. That's the story that we're not seeing, and it's unfortunate that society often glorifies and glamorizes the idea of having children out of wedlock."

In her acceptance speech Sunday night, Portman thanked Millepied, saying he gave her "the most important role" in her life.

Medved quipped back that Millepied "didn't give her the most wonderful gift, which would be a wedding ring!"