FILE PHOTO: Musician Moby arrives at the world premiere of the film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” in Hollywood, California, U.S., December 10, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – American musician Moby on Wednesday canceled his book tour after mischaracterizing a past relationship with actress Natalie Portman in his new book.
A message on his website said that Moby was canceling “all upcoming public appearances for the foreseeable future.” It was posted three days before he was due to start the UK leg of a tour to promote his memoir “Then It Fell Apart.”
The electronic dance musician found himself mired in controversy last week after claiming in the book that Portman flirted with him and asked him for a date in 2001, when she was a rising star.
The Oscar-winning “Black Swan” actress told Harper’s Bazaar last week that she was surprised to hear him describe it as dating. She called his behavior at the time inappropriate and added, “my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school.
“He said I was 20; I definitely wasn’t. I was a teenager. I had just turned 18. That he used this story to sell his book was very disturbing to me,” added Portman, now 37.
Moby apologized to Portman, saying in an Instagram post earlier this week; “I accept that given the dynamic of our almost 14 year age difference I absolutely should’ve acted more responsibly and respectfully when Natalie and I first met almost 20 years ago.”
“I’m going to go away for awhile,” the singer, 53, added in a posting on Tuesday. “But before I do I want to apologize again, and to say clearly that all of this has been my own fault.”
Representatives for Portman, who is a supporter of the Time’s Up movement against sexual harassment, declined further comment on Wednesday.
Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Dan Grebler