Scarlett Johansson Just Admitted Her $165m Life Is a Constant 'Deficit' at Home

Scarlett Johansson shared what she realised about parenting and the work-life balance myth.

Johansson said her domestic life isn't free from pitfalls despite her estimated $165 million (£122 million) net worth and Hollywood success. After more than five years of marriage to comedian Colin Jost, she said there' will always be a 'deficit' in her work-life balance.

Johansson on the Secret to a Blissful Domestic Life

'I think actually admitting that there is no work-life balance is the first step to getting there in a way because it's just not possible,' Johansson told CBS Sunday Morning. 'I've learned to be more kind to myself in that way. You can't do all of these things all the time. There's just like, 'Is it good enough?''

Johansson debuted at age nine in Rob Reiner's 1994 film 'North'. She gained critical acclaim from 1998's 'The Horse Whisperer', 2001's 'Ghost World', and her breakout role in 2003's 'Lost in Translation', which earned a Golden Globe nomination opposite co-star Bill Murray.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe propelled her into blockbuster stardom, first appearing as Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow in 'Iron Man 2'. She reprised the character in nine MCU instalments, culminating in her solo film 'Black Widow' in 2021.

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost's Relationship Timeline

Johansson first met Jost in 2006, when the latter was still a writer on Saturday Night Live. Jost transitioned from that to 'Weekend Update' co-anchor, debuting in 2014. Johansson has to date hosted seven Saturday Night Live episodes.

The couple went public about their relationship in 2017, got engaged in 2019, and got married in 2020. In August 2021, they announced the arrival of their first child, Cosmo.

'I think having my first child was a big turning point,' Johansson said, referring to her daughter Rose Dorothy with ex-husband Romain Dauriac. 'My priorities shifted and I realised that I can't really control anything, and everything changes all the time, and I found that to be liberating, it affected how I approached the work that I did.'

Addressing the myth of the work-life balance, Johansson said it's important to forgive oneself whenever things fall through. 'There's always a deficit in some area, and I've learned to be more kind to myself in that way. You can't do all of these things all the time,' she asserted. 'There's just like, 'Is it good enough?''

Johansson Reveals What Success in Parenting Really Looks Like

As a mother raising two children born in 2014 and 2021 while maintaining her marriage, Johansson's view of success has evolved. Parenting success, she noted, involves making the right choices even if it's not always popular among her kids.

'Somebody once told me, 'If you're successful as a parent like 75% of the time, that's good, if you're doing 75% of it like right, then you're winning, which is probably true,' she added.

Forbes ranked Johansson fourth among Hollywood's highest-paid actors in 2025, behind Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise, and Mark Wahlberg. Outside of acting, Johansson has also launched her skincare line, The Outset, adding to her responsibilities.

'It's different in my success as a parent, success as a partner, success as an actor, success as a business owner,' she clarified. 'Success as a parent, you're not always the most popular, and that's okay, it's not about popularity as a parent.'