Why did Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds divorce? Marriage explored as former praises ex as 'good guy' in rare comment

American actress Scarlett Johansson made a rare comment about her ex-husband, Ryan Reynolds. On April 18, 2023, the 38-year-old star appeared on an episode of Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Podcast where she opened up about her married life.

Paltrow began the discussion by asking Johansson if she has been "married two times," to which she corrected her and responded, "three times." She then said:

"Oh that's right, because I forgot that you were married to Ryan Reynolds! Goals!"

Johansson responded:

"Yes. We weren't married very long, but we were when I first met you, for Iron Man [2] or whatever."

When Paltrow said, "We love a good Ryan Reynolds in our house," Johansson replied with a laugh and said:

"He's a good guy."

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Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds were married for two years

Not many people are aware, but Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds were married for two years. They tied the knot in 2008 in a private ceremony at a wilderness retreat in Vancouver. At the time, she was 23 years old, while Reynolds was 31.

In an interview with Glamour in 2009, she said:

"I never really thought about getting married — it just kind of happened. It seemed natural, the right thing to do. It was kind of a celebration of the time."

While speaking to Vanity Fair in 2019, she remarked on her first marriage and said:

"I mean, the first time I got married I was 23 years old. I didn't really have an understanding of marriage. Maybe I kind of romanticized it, I think, in a way."

Two years into their marriage, the duo separated and got divorced. At the time, they released a statement via People Magazine, stating:

"After long and careful consideration on both our parts, we've decided to end our marriage. We entered our relationship with love and it's with love and kindness we leave it. While privacy isn't expected, it's certainly appreciated."

Although the two never really revealed the real reason behind their separation, Scarlett Johansson hinted in 2016 that their divorce was due to "competitiveness" between the two.

"The logistics of being with another actor are challenging. There has to be a real understanding of how you share your time, especially when two people's careers are going at the same rate. Or even if one person is more successful than the other, that also proves challenging. There may be a competitive thing."

Shortly after they separated, a source close to Reynolds suggested to InTouch what could have gone wrong in their relationship.

"They're both strong-willed and stubborn people. There was a lack of warmth between them, which was troubling. He can be an overbearing control freak. He's more traditional and she's more independent ... When he wanted her there, he expected her to drop everything and come to him. She got tired of the double standard."

Johansson also told Cosmopolitan at the time of their divorce that the duo were busy and spent a lot of time apart owing to their busy schedules.

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds were each other first in that marriage. Before that, Reynolds was engaged to Canadian singer Alanis Morissette for two years, from 2005 to 2007. He then went on to marry Blake Lively in 2012 after meeting on the set of Green Lantern.

Scarlett Johansson also got married to French journalist Romain Dauriac in 2014 but got separated in 2017. She is currently married to Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost.