Images that caught the 'V for Vendetta' actress and Sacha Baron Cohen together on a boat revolted the local community, which demanded action from the authorities, who are facing high cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus
Australian police are investigating Natalie Portman, her husband Benjamin Millepied, and the couple's famous friend Sacha Baron Cohen for breaking lockdown measures after being spotted by Daily Mail Australia and generating outrage from the local community.
Residents were furious at the celebrity group's activity as residents of greater Sydney were ordered to stay indoors except for "essential" reasons due to an alarming outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. A spokeswoman for the New South Wales (NSW) State Police Force issued on Friday morning confirmed that officers were investigating the now famous boat ride.
"NSW Police have been made aware of community concerns regarding a boat trip and are conducting inquiries into the matter," a police spokeswoman told a news conference. Photos obtained by the site show the actors' families enjoying the winter sun in Pittwater, in the beach region north of the city.
Portman's husband was responsible for steering the vessel while his actor friends watched. However, the beautiful image of the rich and famous having fun did not win over the local public, who went to express their anger on social networks. "So good Hollywood celebrities can enjoy Sydney Harbor during lockdown," blustered the BBC's Australian correspondent Frances Mao.
Mao recalled that the police deployed 100 men to the region to enforce lockdown measures. "What lockdown?" added journalist Ben Grubb. “Recreational activities are allowed as part of the sixteen rules, but two families [who should be] separated on a boat?” he added. Public health orders in effect on the day of the bust said that Sydney residents could only leave their homes if they had a "reasonable excuse".
In the days since the photos were taken, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and Chief, Medical Officer Dr. Kerry Chant asked Sydney residents not to mingle with people from other families. Today, the restrictions became even more severe after the state reported 44 new Covid infections, with 29 of them infectious in the community.
