Scarlett Johansson reveals why she and Colin Jost kept pregnancy a secret

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Scarlett Johansson knows what it’s like to be an actress in the public eye, but being a mother in the public eye is no different.

The mom of two opened up about how women’s bodies are scrutinised, especially during pregnancy. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Marriage Story actor revealed that she felt protective over her pregnancies with her daughter Rose, 7, and newborn son, Cosmo.

“I wanted to be able to have my own feelings about my changing body without other people also telling me how they saw me, whether it was positive or negative,” Johansson said.

“I realised when I was pregnant with my son, it’s funny how much stuff people put on you when you’re pregnant — their hopes or their judgement or their desire, a lot of that is put on pregnant women,” she continued.

Johansson explained that she’s even experienced criticism about her pregnant body from her close female friends: “You expect it from men, but from women, it’s like, ‘Come on girl, you’ve been through it.’”

The Outset founder said that there’s still a long way to go when it comes to how we treat pregnant people. “I feel like a lot of things have moved forward in the past five years in terms of women’s empowerment, but that thing remains sort of in the Dark Ages,” she said. “So much judgment it’s crazy.”

The 37-year-old actor also reflected on her biggest challenges throughout her career, such as shooting her first Marvel film, Iron Man 2. The Black Widow star was in her early 20s at the time she was cast, and admitted that she had “never stepped foot in a gym”.

Johansson welcomed her son Cosmo with Saturday Night Live cast member Colin Jost back in August. The SNL writer announced the birth of their son on 18 August, writing in an Instagram post: “Ok ok we had a baby. His name is Cosmo. We love him very much,” before adding that “privacy would be greatly appreciated”.

The couple were married in October 2020 after three years of dating. Johansson also shares her daughter Rose with ex-husband Romain Dauriac.