Scarlett Johansson Reflects on Black Widow Lawsuit, Disney’s ‘Surreal’ Statement

Two years ago, Scarlett Johansson and Disney settled over the Black Widow lawsuit the actress filed against the company.

In a new interview with Variety, Johansson reflected on the “surreal” feeling of having Disney go after her in the Black Widow lawsuit. The actress was asked how she felt about Disney’s comments about Johansson, specifically referencing the company saying that Johansson had shown a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad,” Johansson said of the reaction by Disney. “It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit. I was also really heavily pregnant, too, which in a weird way was amazing timing. Suddenly, your entire attention is drawn to this miracle of life. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby.”

Johansson’s agent, Bryan Lourd, was also asked about the lawsuit. Lourd recalled how incensed he was when Disney commented on that, and also revealed Johansson’s $20 million salary for the film.

“I lost my mind and said, ‘How dare you make it seem like she’s not worth this money or that she somehow hasn’t earned it?’” said Lourd. “She and I were very much in lockstep about what this was. And she had the conviction to let me fight back. A lot of people wouldn’t do that. And part of the reason she did it is because she thought, in the position she’s in, she had a responsibility not just to herself but to other people who were being confronted with this change.”

What was the Black Widow lawsuit about?

Johansson’s Black Widow lawsuit with Disney stemmed from the company making Marvel Studios’ Black Widow film a day-and-date release in theaters and online via Disney+’s Premiere Access service. While Johansson’s representatives initially were asking for upwards of $100 million from the lawsuit, a settlement in 2021 ended up paying the actress a reported $40 million.

Since the lawsuit has ended, Johansson has received support from those close to her in the industry. This included longtime Marvel collaborator Joe Russo, who was happy to see the result. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has also recently hinted at a “top-secret Marvel Studios project” that he’s working on with Johansson, so the relationship between Disney and the actress seems to be just fine following the lawsuit and settlement.

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