Strange Things About Scarlett Johansson & Colin Jost's Marriage We Can't Ignore

On screen, Scarlett Johansson has built a career on playing complex women with ambivalent relationships to love. Think "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," or "Lost in Translation," or even "Marriage Story." Perhaps fiction borrows from real life, since Johansson's love life is odd. Case in point: her relationship with Colin Jost. Johansson has been married to the "Saturday Night Live" star since 2020, and their relationship has more than a few strange elements. The pair appear to be happy, and of course, all relationships are different, which is why it's so healthy to recognize (and accept) your red flags. Still, there are a few odd aspects to this celebrity couple that give us pause.

Neither Johansson nor Jost appear to be enthusiastic about romantic commitment, which makes it all the more surprising that they decided to get hitched. Typically, when people decide to tie the knot, they do so with plenty of optimism about the institution of marriage. But that's not the only thing that has us raising our eyebrows.

Colin Jost isn't Scarlett Johansson's first husband and he isn't even her second. Johansson was married twice before she and Jost got hitched in 2020. She was married to fellow actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011, and cited the couple's apparent professional competitiveness as the primary reason for the divorce. She was subsequently married to French journalist Romain Dauriac from 2014 to 2017. Dauriac, in particular, was allegedly blindsided by the split.

A string of divorces isn't a red flag on its own, and Johansson probably has some suggestions when it comes to the best tips for getting back into dating after a divorce. Still, it might signal a few qualities about the "We Bought a Zoo" actress that don't bode well for a successful marriage. Multiple divorces can indicate that someone has issues with commitment, impulsivity, or even healthy communication. It can also reveal that the person is avoiding the personal growth that is a necessary component of making long-term relationships work. In particular, the nature of each separation suggests that Johansson may struggle to appropriately resolve conflict, which could be a problem for her marriage to Jost.

While Colin Jost is wealthy and famous in his own right — he joined "Saturday Night Live" in 2005 and became co-anchor of "Weekend Update" in 2014 — he's still simply not as successful as megastar A-lister Scarlett Johansson. Besides that, his estimated net worth is roughly $10 million, which is chump change next to Johansson's estimated $165 million. This monetary divide isn't a secret, and Jost has been lampooned for making less money than Johansson on "Saturday Night Live."

While plenty of couples figure out how to navigate differing levels of success, it can be a sore spot, particularly in cisgender, heterosexual relationships when the woman is the more achieving partner. Several studies have indicated that, while women's self-esteem is not likely to be impacted by their male partner's success or failure, men often feel competitive with their partners. Plenty of successful actresses have seen their marriages end after winning an Academy Award, including Hilary Swank, Kate Winslet, and Halle Berry. Johansson might not have an Academy Award yet, but after a couple of nominations, the data has ominous implications for her marriage's potential future. This is particularly salient for Johansson, who already cited competitiveness as a driving reason for her first divorce.

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost have both publicly expressed hesitation toward the idea of long-term commitment. Several years before marrying Jost, during a 2017 interview with Playboy, Johansson said, "I don't think it's natural to be a monogamous person. I might be skewered for that, but I think it's work. It's a lot of work. And the fact that it is such work for so many people — for everyone — the fact of that proves that it is not a natural thing." While it might be a hot take, it seems Jost shares the sentiment, at least in part. On more than one occasion, he's shaded the institution of marriage. The year before he tied the knot with Johansson, Page Six reported that Jost reflected on his fears of commitment while on stage at a 2019 benefit at the Hamptons: "I'm getting married, and it's such a crazy thing. I was so scared of marriage for so long."

While it's not uncommon to have reservations about the major life commitment that is marriage, it's odd that Johansson and Jost have both been so forceful and public with their statements, especially since strong couples often opt to present a unified front. While some couples decide together that they want to try ethical non-monogamy, it's far different to be making public statements against commitment. In particular, Jost's Hampton's comments — given that he made them during the lead-up to his actual wedding — risk disrespect toward his partner.