Back in 2021, Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney for breaching her contract as they decided to release Black Widow in theaters and Disney+ simultaneously instead of the agreed exclusive theatrical release.
However, the company responded back by slamming the actress for being indifferent to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. What followed next was months of a tumultuous legal battle between the two parties.
Fortunately, Johansson and Disney were able to resolve their dispute months later as they finally reached a settlement. While terms were not disclosed, reports claimed that the actress was able to receive a payout of $40 million.
Speaking recently with Variety, the Black Widow star looked back at her past legal battle against the company. She talked about her reaction during the time when she learned about Disney's response to the lawsuit that she filed against them.
"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," she said.
"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. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby."
Johansson also shared that, ever since the tumultuous legal battle, she has received praise from strangers for standing up against the company.
"I couldn’t even walk through a restaurant without somebody saying, ‘Good for you. Stand up for yourself. I could see that it had a bigger impact. I got support from strangers that have no skin in the game at all," the actress said.
Despite that, Johansson still remains in business with the company as she is planning to produce and potentially star in a film adaptation of the infamous Tower of Terror theme park ride.
The actress also said that she doesn't feel bitter about her experience since she is still able to separate the personal from the professional.
"I think it’s because I could separate the creatives at Disney from their business affairs department. I’ve had such great working relationships with so many creatives there and continue to," Johansson shared.
"I believe in the magic of Disney. I’m able to still appreciate that and not let the callousness of that interaction sully my relationship and history with them, because they’re two separate things."
It is great to hear that the Oscar-nominated actress is still in good spirits with the company, which now has a different leadership again from the time that the legal battle happened.
There are also reports that Johansson is set to produce an MCU project that she will not star in, but it just shows that the actress is still very much involved in the franchise even though she will no longer reprise her iconic Marvel role.
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Black Widow is available to stream on Disney+.
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