Scarlett Johansson is regarded as a Hollywood bombshell. From being Marvel’s Black Widow to Woody Allen’s muse in the 2000s, the actress captivated audiences and filmmakers alike. In fact, Woody Allen’s weird fascination with the actress raised plenty of eyebrows.

Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen made three films together- Match Point (2005), Scoop (2006), and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). One would think that the two have a great working relationship, and they would be right. But Allen’s admiration for Johansson went beyond that of professional love.

Woody Allen’s Steamy And Weird Description Of A Young Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen behind the scenes of Match Point
Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen first met for Match

Point (2005). Match Point was initially set to feature Kate Winslet, but she backed out of the role. So why did Allen choose Johansson out of probably hundreds of other actresses? In an interview with Total Film, he explained:
“I had seen her in Lost In Translation and Ghost World and thought she was beautiful, sexy, a wonderful actress – completely interesting on the screen. I just felt like many other people that she was a new, legitimate, authentic movie star who had burst onto the screen, but not in a superficial way – she had real depth to her.”

Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen

But that’s not all. In his memoir, Apropos of Nothing, the director explained how taken he was by Johansson and his words shocked people. He said:
“She was only 19 when she did Match Point, but it was all there: an exciting actress, a natural movie star, real intelligence, quick and funny, and when you meet her, you have to fight your way through the pheromones. Not only was she gifted and beautiful, but sexually she was radioactive.”

However, these words didn’t phase the Marriage Story actress in any way. In fact, she stood by Woody Allen even when he was getting obliterated by the media for the s*xual abuse allegations brought about by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow.

Scarlett Johansson Stood Beside Woody Allen During His MeToo Trial 

Scarlett Johansson in Match Point

In 2017, Dylan Farrow, the adopted daughter of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, in an op-ed for the LA Times, asked why her father wasn’t held accountable by the MeToo revolution. In 1992, Dylan Farrow had accused Allen of m*lesting her at a young age. In 2014, in an interview with The New York Times, the filmmaker denied all accusations. He said:
“Of course, I did not molest Dylan. I loved her and hope one day she will grasp how she has been cheated out of having a loving father and exploited by a mother more interested in her own festering anger than her daughter’s well-being.” 

Scarlett Johansson

But that’s not the only media scrutiny that the director had to suffer. His marriage to Mia Farrow’s other adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn stirred up plenty of gossip. The couple’s large age gap made the general public look at Allen with disdain. But despite it all, Johansson stood beside Allen. In a THR interview, she said:

“I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him anytime. I see Woody whenever I can, and I have had a lot of conversations with him about it. I have been very direct with him, and he’s very direct with me. He maintains his innocence, and I believe him.”
However, she is a bit lonely in her support of the director. Most of Hollywood has shunned the director. Also, highly regarded Hollywood professionals like Timothée Chalamet and Greta Gerwig have publicly expressed regret for their professional association with him. It now remains to be seen if Johansson and Allen ever team up again for a movie.

Match Point is available on Hulu.

Source: THR and Apropos of Nothing