DANCE music star Moby has cancelled his appearance at the Hay Festival following criticism after he claimed to have dated the actress Natalie Portman while she was still a teenager.
The 53-year-old US musician, famous for hits such as Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? and Natural Blues, was due to appear at the festival on Saturday, June 1 to discuss his memoir Then It Fell Apart with GQ editor Dylan Jones in which he claimed Portman had asked him out in 2001.
The producer and DJ yesterday cancelled all his upcoming public appearances including Saturday evening’s event in Hay-on-Wye.
His book tour, that also included appearances in London, Manchester and Dublin, has fallen apart following claims he made of a relationship with Portman, who starred in the Star Wars prequels films, which she had denied.
The musician initially complained that he hadn’t understood why she had denied their "relationship" which, according to reports, would have occurred when she was aged between 18 and 20 and he in his 30s.
In the book Moby wrote: "I was a bald binge drinker and Natalie Portman was a beautiful movie star. But here she was in my dressing room, flirting with me."
But Oscar-winner Ms Portman hit back and called the softly spoken music producer a "creep". She told Harper’s Bazaar: "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.
"He said I was 20; I definitely wasn’t. I was a teenager. I had just turned 18. That he used this story to sell his book was very disturbing to me."
A statement on Moby’s website said: "Moby is canceling all upcoming public appearances for the foreseeable future.
"We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase, and Moby is happy to provide signed bookplates to everyone who bought tickets to these events."
The Hay Festival has said it has refunded all tickets booked online or over the the phone and those who bought tickets in person should contact the box office for a refund.
The festival is also offering those who had tickets to Moby the chance to attend a talk with Laurie Nunn, creator of the Netflix drama, Sex Education.
A festival spokesman said: "In addition to your refund, we would like to offer you the opportunity to come to a conversation with Laurie Nunn, creator of the smash-hit Netflix drama, Sex Education. The event takes place at the same time at the Llwyfan Cymru – Wales Stage and you can use your ticket for Moby to gain entrance for free."
Moby has used his Instagram account to issue an apology to those he included in his memoir, he says, without showing it to those he has has written about.
He wrote on Instagram, in a post titled, ’from moby, an apology’, he wrote that he accepted many of the criticisms of him regarding Ms Portman’s inclusion in the book are "very valid".
He also wrote: "Given the dynamic of our almost 14 year age difference I absolutely should’ve acted more responsibly and respectfully when Natalie and I first meet almost 20 years ago".