Scarlett Johansson says she’s learned a lesson or two from the controversy that erupted last June when she said publicly she had exchanged personal e-mails with then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama.
“And then, the title of the article was ‘Actress Has A Crush On Obama,’” Johansson told Harper’s Bazaar magazine’s February issue. “Talk about sexist. If I were George Clooney, they would never have written that. I was obviously in a relationship and people were like, ‘How dare she try to break up his marriage with Michelle?’ I was like, ‘What the hell is going on?’”
“The Spirit” star’s claims last summer that she and the future president had corresponded, were quickly shot down by Obama, who told reporters an assistant forwarded a message to the actress, but that she did not have his personal email address. That too had an impact on Johansson.
“Then he released the statement — his camp had to; they’re on a 24-hour news cycle and have to quell anything that comes in that is questionable,” she told the mag. “I was really mortified, but I learned my lesson.”
But the actress, whose twin brother Hunter was one of the many people who worked to get Obama elected, said despite the e-mail incident, she would attend the incoming president’s inauguration in a heartbeat.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” she said of Obama’s election. “If I’m invited to the inaugural party, I’ll be there in a giant gown with the Obama family silk-screened on it.”
Other than her excitement for the inauguration, Johansson says life is going well, including her rarely talked about relationship to husband of just a few months — Ryan Reynolds.
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Scarlett Johansson
“I feel like everything is really normal, it’s calm and natural, like the way it should be,” she said. “I have no perspective on it because it’s been such a short time. I would never try to profess some knowledge that I discovered. I’m happy and it feels very regular, which is good.”
Johansson remains protective about her actual wedding, which took place last year, but she opened up about the moment Reynolds proposed.
“I wasn’t surprised that it was happening, but anyone being presented with a beautiful diamond ring, as a girl, you just squeal with delight,” she said. “You say you can’t believe it, but of course you really can. I think all proposals are romantic. It was very down-to-earth and genuine. There was no crazy skywriting or anything like that, just nice words, and it was very sweet.”
The actress, who will next hit the big screen in “He’s Just Not That Into You,” is known for her sexy good looks, but though she’s happily married to a gorgeous star, she admitted her past love life wasn’t full of luck.
“I’ve had that a couple of times where he wasn’t into me or wasn’t available emotionally,” she said. “It’s kind of a hard thing to admit when you really like somebody and you can see the potential of the relationship but they can’t.”
And career-wise, things haven’t always hit a sweet spot either for the actress.
“I do feel that I often play or get stuck in between two men,” she said. “I think it’s hard to be a 24-year-old actor and not be typecast. A lot of roles are either for a sexy person or a ‘Juno’-type character.”
Still, she’ll always have two things to turn to — hunky Reynolds and the kitchen.
“I’m a major foodie,” she admitted. “I love to eat. I make a really mean lasagna. Woody (Allen)’s like, ‘You’re like an Italian housewife. Where did this come from?’”