Scarlett Johansson ‘Blacked out’ During the SNL Weekend Update That Mocked Her AI Controversy

Scarlett Johansson, in a recent interview, playfully stated that she “blacked out” after listening to a joke delivered by her husband and SNL Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost on the show. It referred to Johansson’s high-profile controversy with OpenAI last year.

Scarlett Johansson is ‘absolutely terrified’ of the SNL Weekend Update tradition

As is the tradition in the Weekend Update joke swap segment, Jost and his fellow emcee Michael Che write jokes that are then exchanged and delivered by the other man. Che often attempts to include Jost’s wife in his content, which may result in great amusement for everyone else but ends up putting Jost in a tight spot.

Scarlett Johansson, on the other hand, is “absolutely terrified” of this SNL custom. In The Kelly Clarkson Show, she whimsically addressed the annual Weekend Update custom and stated, “We need to go into like, witness protection after that night.” The Avengers star also admitted she’s afraid that they will be “targeted.”

“It’s so bad. I black out for that period of the night. I don’t — I actually don’t remember it,” she said. In May 2024, Michael Che passed on a joke to his SNL Weekend Update co-host that alluded to a 2023 AI controversy surrounding Scarlett Johansson.

“ChatGPT has released a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in Her. Which I’ve never bothered to watch, because without that body, what’s the point of listening?” Jost read. Describing it as a tame version, she stated, “I feel like every year it gets worse, it’s just terrible.”

Notably, Johansson is also involved in a dispute with an image-generating app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar. The AI application used Scarlett Johansson’s voice and imagery for advertising purposes without her approval, resulting in controversy. Consequently, the 39-year-old actress was forced to take legal action against them.