Elliot Page divorces his wife: Their sweetest marriage moments
After three years of marriage, Elliot Page and wife, dancer Emma Portner, announced their decision to split on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The pair have been together since 2017, and revealed that they separated during the summer. In a statement, they wrote, “After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce following our separation last summer.”
There seems to be no animosity in their decision to split. They added in their statement, “We have the utmost respect for each other and remain close friends.” Elliot Page came out as transgender & non-binary, using he/they pronouns, at the beginning of Dec. 2020. His wife at the time expressed her support for Page, sharing on social media:
“I am so proud of @elliotpage. Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world. I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot’s existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much.”
It looks like things are going to be an amicable split between the pair. Though no one has shared the outright reason for the separation and divorce plans. Let’s look back at some of the sweetest moments between the couple.
Social media fairytale
Page first saw Portner back in 2017 when she posted a dance video on Instagram to a song by Sylvan Esso. He was so taken by her that he immediately slid into her DMs. He said, “I thought, damn, this girl is so talented and so cool. I knew right away we were both creative spirits.” Portner admitted that when she first saw one of Page’s films, she knew they would meet one day.
And they did! They both saw each other on film and felt drawn to each other! The couple then collaborated on a video where Page sang an acoustic cover of “Lucky” by Britney Spears while his soon-to-be wife did an improvised dance. Portner joined Page for the premiere of Flatliners. While dating a famous actor was an adjustment, she thought it was great for “for queerness to be out in the open.”
Marriage
The whirlwind romance whirled into marriage when on Jan. 3, 2018, Page announced on his social media that he and Portner tied the knot. An exact date of their wedding was not given, but it’s clear they wanted to start 2018 off by getting married. Page gushed, writing, “Can’t believe I get to call this extraordinary woman my wife. @emmaportner.”
Portner would later say that her marriage with Page helped her dancing grow. She said of their relationship, “He and I have an indefatigable connection and this undying desire to be near each other. It cannot ever be perfect, but we really respect each other. Love can’t flow without respect. Elliot is the best, and I still cry every time we part ways for work. I probably will forever, and I’m OK with that.”
Just so in love
Page, apparently, was a “my wife” guy because he had to brag about Portner to everyone that he met. He said in 2019, “I’m so in love. I love being married. I’ll be walking my dog, and I start talking to people, and I end up telling them about my wife and making them look at our Instagram. I’m that person.”
Even when they were separated, it looks like they were still loving each other. In an interview with Kelly Clarkson in 2020, Page said of Portner, “My wife is like one of the most talented people I’ve ever met, and watching her perform live . . . is just absolutely breathtaking, and so I very much miss that.”
