Natalie Portman, 42, gets the giggles during a smoke break with Paul Mescal, 28

Natalie Portman and Paul Mescal were seen sharing a laugh outside a London watering hole, clearly enjoying each other's company.

The duo spent Tuesday evening at Bar 69 in Islington, where they appeared to be in excellent spirits as they stepped out for a smoke.

This jovial outing occurred just weeks after Hollywood star Natalie, aged 42, put the final stamp on her divorce from Benjamin Millepied.

Amidst the fallout from her split with Benjamin, including allegations of his infidelity with a woman half her age, Natalie didn't let the drama dampen her spirits, as evidenced by her laughter-filled interaction with 28-year-old Paul.

Snapped by the Daily Mail, Natalie and Paul both dressed down for the occasion.

The Black Swan star shone in a simple white tee paired with faded jeans.

Sporting pristine white kicks, her hair cascaded in gentle waves, complemented by bold red lips and striking eye makeup.

Paul matched the casual vibe in a white shirt, teamed with high-waisted black trousers and classic Adidas Sambas.

The reason behind their London meet-up remains a mystery, though they have previously flaunted their close bond during a mutual interview last year.

In that interview, Paul lauded Natalie as a "brilliant" actress.

In their conversation for Variety magazine, he expressed awe at their connection, saying: "If my drama school self knew that I would be talking to you, I would pinch myself many, many times!"

Natalie and Benjamin quietly finalised their divorce in February after 11 years of marriage. The pair divorced in France, where they lived together as a family.

The former couple share two children together - son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, seven.

It was reported that Benjamin had cheated on the Oscar winning actress with 25 year old Camille Etienne. The cheating rumours started when Benjamin and Camille were photographed leaving his office together.

Shortly after, it was claimed the affair was "short lived" and Benjamin was "doing all he could to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together."

Natalie refused to address the rumours during an interview with Vanity Fair.

An AI tool was used to bring an extra layer to this story.