Best Actress nominee Natalie Portman pulls out of Oscars due to pregnancy

Natalie Portman has announced that she will not be attending the 2017 Academy Awards or the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards due to her pregnancy.

The 35-year-old actress is nominated for Best Actress at both awards shows for her portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the movie, Jackie.

According to Variety, in a statement Natalie said: "Due to my pregnancy, I am unable to attend the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards. I feel so lucky to be honoured among my fellow nominees and wish them the most beautiful of weekends."

The biopic, directed by Pablo Larrain is also up for best feature and editing, best score and best costume. Portman, who has won widespread acclaim for her performance, is nominated for best actress at the Oscars in a category that includes Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) and Oscar favorite Emma Stone (La La Land)

It's the third Oscar nomination for Portman who won the best actress award in 2011 for Black Swan and was nominated in the supporting category in 2004 for Closer. At the time she was pregnant with her son Aleph.

The heavily pregnant star recently attended the Golden Globes red carpet, and was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue, however she was unable to attend the recent Bafta awards in London.

Portman and her husband who was her Black Swan co-star Benjamin Millepied, have been married since 2012.

Hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel the 89th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Sunday 26 February.