Before the matching Met Gala looks and the playful Instagram trolling that’s become a hallmark of Hollywood’s "it" couple, Ryan Reynolds had a whole other life. You probably know him as one half of the internet's favorite duo with Blake Lively. But long before the fourth child and the Wrexham AFC takeover, there was a different A-list household.
The world often forgets that Scarlett Johansson is the famous Ryan Reynolds ex wife.
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Their marriage was short. It was quiet. Honestly, it was so private that even some of their closest industry peers, like Gwyneth Paltrow, have famously admitted to forgetting it ever happened. But just because it didn't last doesn't mean it wasn't significant. To understand the "Nice Guy" persona Ryan projects today, you kinda have to look back at the relationship that taught him—and Scarlett—exactly what they didn't want in a partner.
The Secretive Wilderness Wedding
They started dating in 2007. This was a transitional time for both. Ryan had just come off a high-profile, three-year engagement with singer Alanis Morissette (who later channeled that heartbreak into her album Flavors of Entanglement). Scarlett was the "It Girl" of the moment, transitioning from indie darling to a global powerhouse.
They didn't do the red carpet thing. No paparazzi-bait walks in Malibu. Instead, they retreated to a remote wilderness resort on Vancouver Island in September 2008.
The ceremony was tiny. Just a handful of family and friends. Scarlett later told the Los Angeles Times that she wanted a moment of privacy for herself. "I was happy with the results of that," she said. But the problem with keeping things that quiet is that the public starts to fill in the blanks with their own theories.
Why the Marriage Really Collapsed
If you look at 2009 and 2010, both stars were on an absolute tear. Scarlett was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Black Widow. Ryan was hitting his stride with The Proposal. They were rarely in the same zip code, let alone the same house.
Scarlett has dropped some pretty revealing breadcrumbs over the years about why things went south.
- Career Competition: In a 2016 interview with Cosmopolitan, she admitted that being with another actor is basically a logistical nightmare. She hinted at a "competitive thing" that happens when two people’s careers are moving at the same speed—or when one person is slightly more successful than the other.
- The Age Gap: People forget Scarlett was only 23 when they married. Ryan was 31. She’s since reflected on that time, mentioning that she didn't really have a "full understanding" of what marriage required.
- Different Priorities: While Ryan was reportedly looking for a more "traditional" family setup back then, Scarlett was arguably at the peak of her professional ambition.
They announced their split in December 2010. The statement was standard Hollywood—full of "love and kindness"—but the aftermath was clearly painful. Ryan told Details in 2011 that he didn't think he’d ever want to get married again. Obviously, he changed his mind about a year later.
Beyond the Rumors: Was There a "Third Person"?
Whenever a Hollywood golden couple splits, the "cheating" narrative starts spinning. When Ryan married Blake Lively so soon after his divorce was finalized in 2011, the timeline raised eyebrows. They had filmed Green Lantern together while Ryan was still technically married to Scarlett.
However, both Ryan and Blake have stayed firm: they were just friends during filming. They even went on a double date together—where they were each with different people—before realizing they had chemistry.
Scarlett, for her part, has never publicly blamed another person for the split. In fact, she recently went on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop podcast and called Ryan a "good guy." There’s no messy "Tell-All" book. No bitter social media posts. Just two people who realized they were a bad match before things got truly ugly.
What This Relationship Taught Us
Looking at Ryan Reynolds today, it's clear his marriage to Scarlett was a blueprint for what to change. With Blake, he is incredibly public—yet protective. They use humor as a shield and a bridge.
Scarlett also found her "forever" in a different lane. After a second marriage to French journalist Romain Dauriac, she married Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost. Interestingly, she chose someone whose career complements hers without directly competing for the same leading-man roles.
The Actionable Takeaway
If you're looking at your own past relationships and feeling like a "failure" because they didn't last, take a page out of the Reynolds-Johansson playbook.
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- Acknowledge Timing: Sometimes you're just too young or too busy for the level of commitment a marriage requires.
- Identify Incompatibilities: Like Scarlett realized, if you can't handle your partner's success (or they can't handle yours), it’s a fundamental personality clash, not a lack of love.
- Take the High Road: You don't have to stay friends, but you don't have to be enemies. Staying silent or keeping comments positive—even years later—protects your own peace more than anyone else's.
Move forward by focusing on the "fundamental things" you need in a partner, rather than trying to recreate a "perfect" image for the outside world.
Next Steps to Understand Hollywood Dynamics
- Research the "Green Lantern" Timeline: If you're curious about how Ryan and Blake actually met, look into their 2010-2011 filming schedule and the press tour that followed.
- Listen to the Goop Podcast: For a rare, unfiltered look at how Scarlett views her past, the 2023 episode with Gwyneth Paltrow is the most direct she has ever been about Ryan.
- Analyze Career Trajectories: Notice how both actors shifted their "brand" post-2011. Ryan moved into production and business (Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile), while Scarlett leaned into producing her own projects to gain more control over her schedule.