Scarlett Johansson Jokes About Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry Purchase: “Sell It for Scrap Metal, Help Our Family!”
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Scarlett Johansson, one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, has faced alien invasions (Under the Skin), assassins (Black Widow), and heartbreak (Marriage Story)—but perhaps her greatest real-life challenge is her husband Colin Jost’s Staten Island ferry.
During a lighthearted January 2025 appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends, Johansson poked fun at the unusual purchase Jost made in 2022 alongside fellow Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson: a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat. “If anybody out there would like to start a GoFundMe for the Staten Island Ferry, please be my guest,” she quipped. “I don’t know if I’m speaking for the Staten Island Ferry or against it, but help our family!” Then, with perfect comic timing, she added that maybe it should just be “sold for scrap metal.”
A $280,000 Floating Dream (or Money Pit?)
The ferry in question, the MV John F. Kennedy, was bought at auction for $280,000 by Jost, Davidson, and comedy club owner Paul Italia. At 65,000 square feet, the trio imagined transforming it into an entertainment hub with a restaurant, concert space, theater, and even hotel rooms.
But the ambitious plan has been slow to launch. Docking fees, logistical hurdles, and reported disagreements between Jost and Davidson have stalled progress. In the meantime, the ferry has become both a running punchline and a financial headache.
Even Jost himself has joked that it might be “the dumbest and least thought-through purchase” of his life. On Today, he gamely played along with Johansson’s roasting, responding that if it really did get sold for scrap, he’d “need gloves for handling it.”
A Marriage of Humor and Pragmatism
Johansson’s jabs aren’t mean-spirited—they’re affectionate, grounded in a mix of support and skepticism. She has teased the project before, calling it a “naughty purchase” and urging people to book it for events like bar mitzvahs during a 2024 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark.
Behind the jokes, though, is a clear sense of pragmatism. As a mother to the couple’s son (born in 2021), Johansson has been candid about balancing her family’s well-being with Jost’s passion project. Her plea—“Help our family!”—may be tongue-in-cheek, but it highlights the financial and personal stakes of Jost’s floating dream.
From Fashion Week to Pop Culture Jeopardy
Not all is lost for the ferry. In September 2024, it hosted Tommy Hilfiger’s New York Fashion Week show, giving the project a glimmer of viability. Jost, now the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!, has also insisted the ferry will eventually “put food on our table,” even if the payoff comes slower than hoped.
Johansson, meanwhile, continues to balance blockbuster roles with her family life, proving that her greatest superpower may be her ability to handle life’s absurdities with humor and grace.
Turning a Misstep Into a Punchline
For Johansson, the ferry fiasco has become a platform to showcase her wit and resilience. By leaning into the comedy of the situation—calling it a “bottomless money pit” one day and urging a GoFundMe the next—she defuses criticism while reinforcing her down-to-earth image.
In a Hollywood where many stars might retreat from public embarrassment, Johansson embraces it, transforming a questionable investment into a story of love, laughter, and family solidarity.
Because if there’s one thing Scarlett Johansson has proven—whether on screen or at home—it’s that she knows how to turn even a sinking ship into a memorable performance.
Would you like me to add a sidebar profile on Pete Davidson’s role in the ferry saga (since his involvement makes the story even wilder), or keep the focus squarely on Johansson and Jost?
