Scarlett Johansson says having a toddler is like an ‘emotionally abusive relationship’

Scarlett Johansson has spoken candidly about motherhood, with the actor explaining why having toddler has made her feel like she’s in “an emotionally abusive relationship”.

The 39-year-old discussed some of the challenges of motherhood during Monday’s episode of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast. Johansson is the parent of two, as she shares her eight-year-old daughter, Rose, with ex Romain Dauriac, and one-year-old son, Cosmo, with husband Colin Jost.

Speaking to podcast hosts Lauryn and Michael Bosstick, the actress recalled that when her daughter turned three, her perspective about motherhood ultimately changed.

“I remember my daughter when she was two, I said, ‘This is great,” the Black Widow star explained. “I don’t know what everybody is talking about.’ And then she turned three, and it’s like being in an emotionally abusive relationship.”

Johansson then pointed out how “crazy” it was when Rose turned three and said that she couldn’t do any “reasoning” with the toddler.

“Very intense emotional swings and so bossy and adamant, and like, it’s just crazy,” she recalled about her daughter’s behaviour at age three. “And, also these huge mood swings, constant mood swings.”

She noted that she still felt for her child when she had mood swings, adding: “Those poor little guys, I feel bad for them, it must be a lot…You’re like up and down constantly.”

Johansson then shared her thoughts about her one-year-old son and described a child’s baby stage as “so lovely”.

“They’re so cute. They sit there and they love you and then that’s it,” she explained. “And you just get love from them.”

The Marriage Story star once again pointed out she didn’t always feel this way when raising her daughter, adding: “You get a lot of grief from toddlers. Everything you do is wrong.”

Over the years, Johansson has continued to share some of the experiences when raising her children, specifically her daughter. During an interview with InStyle in March 2022, she discussed how Rose was at a stage where she was constantly asked her mother questions.

‘“Why are you tweezing your eyebrows? Why are you curling your lashes? What’s a tampon? What’s it for?’” she recalled, when reciting some of her daughter’s remarks.

“She asked me why my underwear went up my butt crack, and I had to try to explain what a panty line was,” Johansson continued. “I was like, “’cause you don’t want a line in your pants,’ and she was like ‘Why?’ And I was like, “’cause then you could see my underwear,’ and she was like ‘But you are wearing underwear.’ Like I know, it’s weird.”

However, Johansson still tends to keep her children out of the spotlight and opts not to post about them online, as she doesn’t even use social media herself. During her episode of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, she also explained why she’s off the social media apps and how she thinks they would cause her anxiety.

“I honestly am too fragile of a person to have social media,” Johansson said. “My ego is too fragile. I can’t deal with it. My brain is too fragile, I’m like a delicate flower. I have enough anxiety, honestly.”