Scarlett Johansson has finally addressed the jaw-dropping joke about her that aired during Saturday Night Live’s holiday episode in December. Her husband, Colin Jost, was made to deliver the punchline live on air, and Johansson, watching from backstage, was left stunned. In a recent interview with InStyle, she described the moment as “so gross” and admitted she couldn’t believe the show went that far.
The joke was part of the show’s annual “Weekend Update” tradition, where Jost and his co-host Michael Che write outrageous jokes for each other to read without any prior warning. This time, Che handed Jost a line that compared Johansson to a Costco roast beef sandwich in a joke about their sex life. When Jost read it aloud, the audience gasped. Meanwhile, cameras backstage caught Johansson’s reaction mouth open, clearly shocked.
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She says she was given a heads-up that Che had written a joke involving her, but she didn’t expect it to be so explicit. “I thought, ‘It’s just a joke about my vagina. How bad could it be?’” Johansson said. “And then the Costco reference came up, and I was like, ‘No! No, Michael!’”
What made it even more overwhelming was the sudden swarm of cameras trained on her to capture her reaction. “It was intense. Lights, cameras and everyone was waiting for me to do something. I felt like I was going to pass out,” she recalled.
Johansson reacts to Colin Jost’s shocking SNL punchline written by Michael CheGetty Images
After the show, Johansson and Jost both felt drained. “My nerves were shot,” she admitted. “Colin was feeling the same way.”
Despite her willingness to laugh it off at SNL, Johansson has firm boundaries in her personal life. One of them is not taking photos with fans in public. “People sometimes take it personally, but I don’t want to be tagged or identified in a specific time or place,” she explained. “I like keeping to myself when I’m not working. I don’t want to feel self-conscious.” Johansson says it’s important to her to live in the moment without the pressure of being “on” all the time.
Scarlett Johansson explains why the viral SNL joke crossed the line for herGetty Images
Despite the viral moment, Johansson says she’s learnt to take it all in stride. “I can laugh about it now,” she said, “but it also reminded me why I’m protective of my privacy. Some things are just for me.” For Johansson, keeping parts of her life off-limits isn’t about being distant, it’s about staying grounded, even when the spotlight gets a little too bright.
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