Not long after the separation from her husband was announced, Scarlett Johansson told Playboy that she doesn’t think monogamy is natural. The “Lost in Translation” star, who has been married and divorced twice, said she completely understands the idea of being with one person, but that it doesn’t come easily to her.
The 32-year-old mom said it’s all about choice:
“…You have to choose a path. I think the idea of marriage is very romantic; it’s a beautiful idea, and the practice of it can be a very beautiful thing. I don’t think it’s natural to be a monogamous person. I might be skewered for that, but I think it’s work. It’s a lot of work. And the fact that it is such work for so many people – for everyone – the fact of that proves that it is not a natural thing. It’s something I have a lot of respect for and have participated in, but I think it definitely goes against some instinct to look beyond.”
Johansson was previously married to actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011–and in 2014, she married Romain Dauriac, who is the father to her 2-year-old daughter, Rose Dorothy. The couple announced their split last month. In a previous interview, she said having a child changed their relationship–along with the fact that Dauriac moved to America from France:
“…It felt different. I had a really young baby at the time, so that also – our family dynamic was just different. I don’t know. Whatever that is, the thing you can’t fully put words to, it changed.
I had a baby, and also my husband was coming from another country and becoming a citizen of this country. It was a huge transition for both of us, and certainly for him – moving here, committing to the (United) States. But I think my husband has embraced America, and New York in particular, in this really endearing way. He was making meatballs the other night, actually. I wasn’t home. I was away, and he sent me a picture. He was like, ‘I’m a real New Yorker, and I love The Sopranos!’ I was just, ‘You go, babe’.”
Regardless of Johansson’s relationship preferences, I wish her happiness. Relationships are never easy–and require a lot of work (even friendships!), but it’s also never a healthy thing to stay in a relationship that just isn’t right for you. And it’s brave to walk away and start new, however hard that may be. Because in the end, it’s the best example you can send to your children–happiness is work and we need to choose happiness when we can.
