Scarlett Johansson says strangers congratulated her for standing up against Disney over Black Widow lawsuit
Scarlett Johansson is opening up about her lawsuit against Disney.
The 38-year-old actress sued Disney in 2021 after the production company breached the terms of contract by releasing the Marvel prequel Black Widow in theatres and streaming sites simultaneously. Johansson argued that doing so harmed the film’s box office potential, violated her contract, and cost her millions in expected income.
In September 2021, Johansson and Disney settled the lawsuit outside of court, however the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
And now, in a recent chat with Variety, Johansson opened up about the lawsuit and how she felt during the time.
Talking about the lawsuit, Scarlett said that while she was sad and disappointed, her pregnancy distracted her. “I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad,” she said. “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.”
The actress also said that strangers would walk up to her and congratulate her on standing up for herself. “I couldn’t even walk through a restaurant without somebody saying, ‘Good for you. Stand up for yourself,’” she said. “I could see that it had a bigger impact. I got support from strangers that have no skin in the game at all.”
Scarlett Johansson’s relationship with Disney in the present
Even though the Marriage Story actress sued Disney and the fight got ugly, she still has a good relationship with the company, having separated the personal from the professional. She will even be seen in Tower of Terror, which is based on the Disney ride. “I think it’s because I could separate the creatives at Disney from their business affairs department,” she said. “I’ve had such great working relationships with so many creatives there and continue to. I believe in the magic of Disney. I’m able to still appreciate that and not let the callousness of that interaction sully my relationship and history with them, because they’re two separate things,” the actress concluded.
