In a new cover story for InStyle, actress Scarlett Johansson provided a rare glimpse into
her personal life, discussing her conscious decision to keep her children—10-year-old Rose, whom she shares with ex-husband Romain Dauriac, and 3-year-old Cosmo, her son with husband Colin Jost—out of the public eye.
“But if anyone knows me, I definitely over-share. I’m not a closed book, you know?”
Johansson admitted. “I’m politically active and vocal about it. But I am a private person in the sense that I value my close friendships. My family is very precious to me, as is their privacy.”
Johansson emphasized how important it is for her to maintain her children’s anonymity for as long as possible, sharing a recent conversation she had with her daughter about it. “I was talking to my daughter the other day because she said, ‘Oh, I would love to make videos for The Outset,'” she recalled, referencing her skincare line. “She was like, ‘Why can’t I?’ And I said, ‘Well, other than the fact that you’re 10…'” Johansson explained that while the idea of fame may seem appealing, once a person enters the spotlight, there’s no turning back.
“The thing about being a public figure is that the idea of being recognizable and celebrated feels fun, but then you can never stuff it back in the bottle,” she continued. “The reality of it is, there’s a massive loss to that, you know? So I think preserving that for as long as possible until it’s someone’s choice, that’s the choice I make as far as my kids go.”
Beyond talking about her family, Johansson also addressed a particularly memorable moment involving her husband, comedian Colin Jost, on Saturday Night Live. The moment in question occurred during the show’s annual end-of-year joke swap between Jost and his Weekend Update co-anchor, Michael Che, where the two comedians read jokes written for them by the other without prior knowledge of the content.
“It was so vulgar,” Johansson admitted about the joke Jost read on air. “I just can’t believe that they went there. I was like—it was so gross. It was really gross.”
The joke in question involved a comparison between a discontinued Costco roast beef sandwich and Johansson in a way that took many by surprise. Jost read, “Costco has removed the roast beef sandwich from its menu. But I ain’t trippin’. I’ve been eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kid.”
Immediately after delivering the line, the camera cut backstage to Johansson, who appeared stunned by what she had just heard.
“My experience of it was so funny,” she admitted, noting that producers had given her a heads-up that Che had written a “vagina joke” for the segment.
However, Johansson didn’t expect that she would be the punchline. “I was like, ‘I mean, it’s a vagina joke, how bad could it be?’ And then as soon as the Costco photo came up, I was like ‘No! No, Michael!'” she said, recalling the moment with a mix of disbelief and amusement.
Johansson, who married Jost in 2020, also reflected on how the camera crew was able to capture her reaction so quickly and seamlessly.
“The fact that it took on a full To Catch a Predator-style reveal or whatever,” she joked, “that was so intense. All of a sudden, it was like a whole bunch of people holding up lights, and a guy with a video camera. They were waiting for me to react. I felt insane. I was like, ‘I think I’m going to faint.'”
Despite the initial shock, Johansson says she has since laughed off the now-viral moment, partly thanks to her busy schedule. With multiple projects in the works, her skincare business, and her role as a mother, she has little time to dwell on embarrassing moments. Instead, she focuses on balancing her professional and personal life while ensuring that her children have as normal an upbringing as possible.
Follow us to see more useful information, as well as to give us more motivation to update more useful information for you.
