Scarlett Johansson, the talented leading lady known for her expressive voice and captivating performances, took a stand against a studio giant. It all started in July 2021, just days away from giving birth to her second child, when she dropped a bombshell lawsuit against Disney. And oh boy, did she make waves!
You see, Scarlett’s lawsuit came after months of negotiations behind closed doors. Her team had been fighting for her rightful share of backend compensation for the Marvel prequel “Black Widow.” Scarlett’s contract explicitly stated that the film would be exclusively released in theaters, but Disney went ahead and simultaneously premiered it on their streaming platform, Disney+.
Now, Scarlett isn’t one to take such a breach lightly, especially when millions of dollars are at stake. And who could blame her? Disney, under the leadership of CEO Bob Chapek, even had the audacity to boast about the massive profits “Black Widow” generated on Disney+ Premier Access. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound!
But Scarlett wasn’t alone in this fight. Her agent, Bryan Lourd, stood by her side, ready to take on the studio behemoth. He was outraged by Disney’s attempt to diminish Scarlett’s worth, and he vowed to fight tooth and nail. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, determined to defend not only Scarlett’s value but also the rights of others facing similar challenges.
Lourd said, “How dare you make it seem like she’s not worth this money or that she somehow hasn’t earned it?” he recalls. “She and I were very much in lockstep about what this was. And she had the conviction to let me fight back. A lot of people wouldn’t do that. And part of the reason she did it is because she thought, in the position she’s in, she had a responsibility not just to herself but to other people who were being confronted with this change.”
As the legal battle raged on, Disney tried to discredit Scarlett, releasing a scathing statement that criticized her for being insensitive to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They even disclosed her $20 million upfront salary, as if that invalidated her claim for fair compensation. But our girl Scarlett remained resilient and focused on what truly mattered.
During our chat, Scarlett opened up about the emotional toll the lawsuit took on her. She described feeling sad and disappointed by Disney’s response but found solace in the imminent arrival of her precious baby. Amidst the chaos, her pregnancy became a beautiful distraction, a reminder of the miracles life has to offer.
“I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad,” she says. “It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit. 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.”
Fast forward a couple of months, and the storm began to calm. Scarlett and Disney reached a settlement, bringing an end to this high-profile legal battle. While the specific terms of the agreement remain undisclosed, whispers in the gossip mill suggest that Scarlett walked away with a jaw-dropping payout exceeding $40 million. Now, that’s what I call a victory!
