Celebrity

Scarlett Johansson & Colin Jost's Relationship Timeline Is Decades In The Making

Saturday Night Live played a major role in their love story.

by Parry Ernsberger and Candace Cordelia Smith
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Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost are married and expecting a baby. Photo via Getty Images
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It's been five years since they were first rumored to be dating, but now Oscar-nominated actor Scarlett Johansson and Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost are officially a married pair. They've known each other — casually, at least — since 2006, but the stars aligned many years after. That being said, their relationship timeline is definitive proof that good things can, in fact, come to those who wait.

It's pretty safe to assume that Johansson would probably consider herself a "relationship" kind of gal. Over the last decade, she's rarely been single for long, which might be one of the reasons (if not the reason) it's taken her and Jost a while to get together.

In 2005, Jost got his big break when he was hired as a writer for SNL. Shortly thereafter, in January 2006, Johansson made her debut as host on the sketch comedy show. Years later, Jost told Entertainment Tonight that was when he and ScarJo first crossed paths. Alas, he had to wait quite a while to make his move, as she was dating Josh Hartnett at the time. Johansson and Hartnett split in November 2006, but she wasn't single for very long. She was basically in back-to-back serious relationships — two of which led to marriage — from that point on.

Finally, in 2017, both Johansson and Jost found themselves single in the same place at the same time. In May of that year, ScarJo made another guest appearance on SNL, where Jost, of course, was employed. It seems as if this is when things for her and Jost finally clicked, and the rest, as they say, is history... a very long relationship history for Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, which you can revisit in all of its decade-plus glory below.

January 2006: Johansson And Jost First Cross Paths On SNL

In January 2006, Johansson was tapped to host SNL for the very first time. This was also the first time she and Jost met, but they remained friends as she was dating Harnett back then. "The first time [Johansson] hosted was the first year I was a writer on the show," Jost recounted to ET in September 2017. "So, we've kind of known each other since then ... she's the best."

2006-Early 2017: Johansson Is In Other Relationships

Johansson and Hartnett split in 2006, according to People. By the following year, she and Ryan Reynolds were seemingly an item. In 2008, the couple both announced their engagement and got hitched.

Sadly, in December 2010, Johansson and Reynolds announced their separation, per E! News. (Of course, they’re both in committed marriages now, but more on that later.) Over the course of 2011, Johansson reportedly dated Sean Penn for a bit, and she spent more than a year with advertising executive Nate Naylor.

In October 2012, ScarJo was spotted getting cozy with French journalist Romain Dauriac. Things got serious pretty quickly with these two, and they wed in 2014, People reported. Johansson and Dauriac also welcomed their first child, Rose Dorothy, briefly before getting married that same year.

March 2017: Johansson Files For Divorce From Romain Dauriac

It's unclear whether or not Johansson and Jost stayed in touch over the years, but by March 2017, the actor was gearing up for her fifth time hosting SNL. She filed for divorce from Dauriac just a few days before the show, although they'd reportedly been separated since the summer of 2016, a source told People at the time.

May 2017: The Pair Is Reportedly Caught Kissing

Two months after filing for divorce from Dauriac, Johansson made a guest appearance on the SNL season finale. It was at that week's post-show party that she and Jost were first spotted getting cozy, according to a source for Page Six. "Scarlett and Colin were making out at the bar at the SNL season finale party at 30 Rock," the insider revealed. "They would make out a bit, then go back to talking. They were at the bar in front of everyone ... they made out at least twice ... Then they went back to talking and hanging with other people."

Another source told ET that the season finale party "wasn't the first time" they'd hooked up and that the pair had actually been seeing each other "for a bit" by then. "They're not in a relationship, but they have fun together. They like each other, but it's not exclusive — at least not at this point,” said a source.

September 2017: Jost Opens Up About Johansson To The Press

By September 2017, Johansson and Jost seemingly decided to go exclusive. Neither one of them had publicly commented on the nature of their relationship up until that point, but Jost finally cracked when he was asked about Johansson during the 2017 Emmys. "She’s wonderful," the comedian told ET. "She’s working, so otherwise, she’d be here." He then went on to tell the outlet, "She’s pretty cool … it’s hard to have a lot of complaints, she’s pretty awesome. I’m very happy. I feel very lucky."

November 2017: They Make Their First Public Appearance Together

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Over the next few months, Johansson and Jost were sporadically spotted out and about together. November marked their first public appearance as a couple when they both attended the American Museum of Natural History Gala. While they opted to maintain some privacy by walking the red carpet separately, once they were inside, they posed for several sweet pics.

December 2017: They Hold Hands While Ice Skating

In December, Jost and Johansson appeared to be done hiding their love from the public eye. During the closing credits of SNL — after Johansson made yet another guest appearance on the show — the entire SNL cast hit the ice skating rink at 30 Rockefeller Center. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment toward the end, Jost and Johansson held hands while gliding across the ice. Jost's “Weekend Update” co-anchor, Michael Che, captured the moment on his Instagram Story as well, and posted a video of the couple with a caption that read, "murrrrr xmas!!," according to People.

April 2018: They Make Their Red Carpet Debut

On April 23, the two stars made their official red carpet debut together at the Los Angeles Avengers: Infinity War premiere. They linked arms while posing for pics, exchanged all kinds of sweet glances, and generally looked happy to be together.

May 2018: Jost Confirms Their Relationship Status On SNL

A few weeks after their red carpet debut, Jost publicly referred to Johansson as his "girlfriend" during “Weekend Update.” While Leslie Jones ranted about the difficulties of dating, she hilariously dragged Jost into the conversation. "Colin," she said. "He was so cute and sweet and kind, but it would never work because he’s gay," she joked, alluding that they had once been an item. "I’m not gay. I told you I have a girlfriend," Jost replied, grinning. He didn't flat-out say Johansson's name, but come on — everyone knew who he was talking about.

February 2019: They Move In Together And Talk Marriage

After nearly two years of dating, Us Weekly sources told the outlet that Johansson and Jost moved in together. "Colin is still head over heels for Scarlett," one of the sources claimed. "He thinks she is incredible, kind, beautiful. He is beyond doting to her and loves showing her off when they’re out." The source then added, "Scarlett loves Colin too, and they are in it for the long haul. They have talked about marriage and are fully committed to each other. Colin gets a starry-eyed look in his eyes when he talks about her."

April 2019: They Attend The Avengers: Endgame Red Carpet

Almost exactly a year after their red carpet debut as a couple, Jost and Johansson looked like a picture-perfect pair at the Los Angeles Avengers: Endgame premiere on April 22. They stayed stuck together like glue while posing for photos and pretty much only had eyes for each other the whole time.

May 2019: They Get Engaged

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After two years of on-the-record dating, the couple officially announced their engagement on May 19, with CNN reporting that Johansson told Ellen the proposal was "a whole James Bond affair.” Without going into further detail, she teased, "No hot air balloon involved. It was very personal ... I think, more than anything, when someone tells you they want to spend their life with you, that's a lovely, special thing."

The couple might have been quiet and low-key about their relationship, but her engagement ring is anything but. At a whopping 11 carats, the light brown, pear-shaped diamond can steal any spotlight.

July 2019: Jost Reveals Pre-Proposal Marriage Jitters

In a Hamptons benefit show for celiac research, Jost admitted he was nervous about the very idea of marriage before proposing to Johansson. He credited his nerves to friends who'd tied the knot telling him he had his whole life ahead of him before thinking of getting hitched.

December 2019: The Relationship Comes Full Circle

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During her December 2019 SNL monologue, Johansson worked in a sweet tribute to Jost during the Avengers-themed intro. "I just want to say that this place means so much to me. I have so many friends here, and I met the love of my life here," she said before wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and giving Jost a kiss.

October 2020: Johansson And Jost Tie The Knot

In October of 2020, Jost and Johansson’s status as husband and wife was publicly confirmed via social media. Meals on Wheels’ Instagram account shared the exciting announcement, writing, “We’re thrilled to break the news that Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were married over the weekend in an intimate ceremony with their immediate family and loved ones, following COVID-19 safety precautions as directed by the CDC. Their wedding wish is to help make a difference for vulnerable older adults during this difficult time by supporting @mealsonwheelsamerica.”

July 2021: Johansson And Jost Are Expecting

News of Johansson and Jost reportedly expecting their first child together broke in July, thanks to several sources telling Page Six. One of those sources claimed Johansson had been keeping her pregnancy “very quiet,” adding, “she has been keeping a very low profile.” Another source stated she and Jost “are thrilled” about the news. As for the baby’s due date, that’s yet to be confirmed, but the latter source told Page Six that Johansson was “due soon.”

August 2021: Jost Confirms The Baby News

According to an August Page Six report, Jost confirmed the news during a standup set in Connecticut. A source who attended the show claimed the comedian told the audience, “We’re having a baby, it’s exciting.” Still no word on the due date, but that will likely follow soon.

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