Colin Jost’s wife, Scarlett Johansson, may be one of the best sports in Hollywood. The Saturday Night Live star found himself in a bit of a hot seat during the Christmas episode of the show, when he had to crack some risqué jokes about his A-list wife, all while she watched from backstage.
During his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on January 20, Jost, 42, was asked if he was in trouble with Johansson after the jokes aired. “I’m in trouble, I think, with a lot of people,” Jost joked, adding, “Scarlett was genuinely so shocked.”
He went on to reveal that while he wasn’t aware of the content beforehand, the SNL team did give Johansson a “heads up” about the R-rated nature of the jokes. “They were like, ‘Hey, would you be okay if Michael made a little, like, kind of vagina joke at some point?’” Jost explained. Johansson, 40, responded, “Sure, whatever, I’m open to it.” However, Jost was unaware of exactly how far the jokes would go.
The moment that took Johansson by surprise came when SNL aired a picture of a roast beef sandwich from Costco. “Scarlett was backstage like, ‘Oh my god, that’s what it is!’” Jost recalled, laughing. “I can’t act that well,” he admitted, emphasising how genuine his reaction was.
The Christmas episode tradition on SNL involves Jost and co-host Michael Che swapping jokes that they’ve written for each other. This year’s segment, which aired on December 21, saw Che’s jokes centre mostly around Jost’s wife. One of the jokes Jost had to read aloud was: “Hey, boo, y’all know Scarlett just celebrated her 40th birthday, which means, I’m about to get up out of there.”
Jost and Johansson, who married in 2020, share a 3-year-old son, Cosmo. Johansson also has a daughter, Rose, from her previous marriage to Romain Dauriac.
Johansson, who has praised Jost in the past, called him “a kind person” and added that he’s “hilarious, thoughtful, loving, and a great dad.” In a November 2024 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Johansson also mentioned Jost’s “naughty side,” which, she said, “keeps it interesting.”