Moby cancels ‘all upcoming public appearances for foreseeable future’ after Natalie Portman dating remarks

The musician claimed in a new book that Portman flirted with him when she was a 20-year-old rising star

Moby arrives at the premiere of Epix's TV series 'Punk' on 4 March, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty)

Moby has cancelled all of his remaining book tour dates after Natalie Portman denied his claims that they dated many years ago.

A message on the American musician’s website said on Wednesday that Moby was cancelling “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 when she was a 20-year-old rising star.

The Oscar-winning Black Swan actress told Harper’s Bazaar last week that she was surprised to hear Moby describe it as dating.

“I was surprised to hear that he characterised the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school,” she said.

“He said I was 20; I definitely wasn’t. I was a teenager. I had just turned 18.”

Moby apologised to Portman in an Instagram post earlier this week, writing: ”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.”

He added in a posting on Tuesday: “I’m going to go away for a while. But before I do I want to apologise again, and to say clearly that all of this has been my own fault.”

Those who had purchased tickets for Moby’s UK and Ireland book tour can obtain a refund at the point of purchase.

Additional reporting from agencies