"It was such a surreal moment"- When Scarlett Johansson opened up about her Disney lawsuit

Modified Nov 29, 2024 18:03 GMT

Scarlett Johansson (Image via Youtube/Sony Pictures Entertainment) — Scarlett Johansson (Image via Youtube/@Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Scarlett Johansson sued Disney in July 2021 for allegedly violating her contract with the company by releasing Black Widow on the streaming platform simultaneously with the theatres. Soon, the defendants responded publicly with a statement that slammed Johansson for her “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In a 2023 interview with Variety, the actress described her feeling when she first read the statement. She called the moment surreal and added that the whole thing made her sad and disappointed.

"I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad. 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."

She added:

"So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby."

More about Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against Disney

Scarlett Johansson's first solo lead film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow, faced several problems before its release. It was delayed multiple times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, when the film was finally released in the theatres and on the Disney+ streaming platform on June 29, 2021, it was entangled in even more problems.

Johansson sued the company over the simultaneous release of the film on Disney+, as it allegedly violated her contract with the studio. The actress was to reportedly receive box office bonuses, which were severely affected by the film's release on the streaming platform. As per Variety, it would reportedly only increase the studio's profits, as the CEO Bob Chapek openly "bragged" about making more than $60 million in Disney+ Premier Access global sales.

Johansson, pregnant with her second child at the time of the lawsuit, told a Variety reporter in 2023 that she was sad and disappointed with Disney's statement. However, she got support from the public for standing up for herself.

Johanson's agent, Bryan Lourd, said that the actress fought back because she felt responsible for herself and others who were confronted with this change.

“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.”

Variety reported that the lawsuit was eventually settled, and Disney compensated Scarlett Johansson with a payment reportedly exceeding $40 million.