Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson's Relationship Timeline: A Look Back

Once upon a time in Hollywood, Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson were a couple — and not just any couple. From 2008 until 2011, the Asteroid City actress and Deadpool star were husband and wife. 

Although they were mostly private in their affairs (there are no paparazzi photos of either of them watching the other eat a salad, after all), the exes did give us a peek into their lives during select interviews — and it wasn't all romance and roses.

In December 2009, Johansson told Time Out New York that she and Reynolds didn't have time for dates, saying, "We work and then go home and — I, anyway — just stare at the wall for a few hours before I go to sleep. Like in any profession, it's difficult. You want to make sure you have time to invest in your family. It's a challenge, but it's worth it."

Following this revelation, the two announced their separation one year later in 2010, and finalized their divorce in July 2011. Perhaps it's thanks to the failure and learnings of their first marriage that led Reynolds and Johansson to find love and success in the aftermath of their divorce. Reynolds went on to marry his Green Lantern co-star Blake Lively in 2012, and Johansson and Saturday Night Live head writer Colin Jost wed in 2020. 

Here's a look back at Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson's relationship.

April 2007: Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson begin dating

It's unclear precisely when and where the in-demand actors first laid eyes on each other (they both strived to keep those details private). However, we do know, according to E! News, that Reynolds and Johansson were first romantically linked after Reynolds and then-fiancée (and fellow Canadian) Alanis Morissette called off their engagement in 2007.

2008: Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson get engaged and married

In May 2008, People exclusively reported Reynolds and Johansson were engaged, with Johansson's rep Marcel Pariseau telling the outlet, "They're both thrilled." 

By September, the pair tied the knot in a wilderness retreat in Vancouver Island, Canada. Reynolds' rep Meredith O'Sullivan confirmed the news to People. This was the first marriage for both actors.

December 2010: Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson separate

Amid media speculation and swirling breakup rumors, Reynolds and Johansson announced their separation in December 2010. 

"After long and careful consideration on both our parts, we've decided to end our marriage," read their statement issued to People. "We entered our relationship with love, and it's with love and kindness we leave it. While privacy isn't expected, it's certainly appreciated."

In 2011, Reynolds told Details, "I don't think I want to get married again," as reported by Daily Mail. Of course, he walked down the aisle for a second time with Lively in 2012.

Johansson also opened up to Cosmopolitan UK about marriage in 2011.    

"Relationships are complicated, and being married is a living, breathing process," she explained. "I think I was not fully aware of the peaks and valleys. I wasn't prepared to hunker down and do the work."

While we'll never know the exact details of why their marriage ended, we've gathered that both career competition and the stars' busy schedules contributed to the friction.

In 2016, Johansson spoke on the importance of making time for a relationship.

"The logistics of being with another actor are challenging. There has to be a real understanding of how you share your time, especially when two people's careers are going at the same rate," she told Cosmopolitan, per E! News. "Or even if one person is more successful than the other, that also proves challenging. There may be a competitive thing."

For some perspective, Johansson was one of Forbes's highest-paid actresses in the final full year of their marriage in 2009 and had earned three Golden Globe nominations in 2008, while Reynolds was just hitting his career stride in The Proposal.

Still, Johansson expressed that she didn't regret marrying Reynolds, reportedly telling Cosmo in 2011, "It seemed like a very romantic thing to do, and it was. It was the best thing I ever did." 

The Avengers actress echoed that sentiment when she appeared on Gwyneth Paltrow's The goop Podcast in April 2023, where she called Reynolds "a good guy." 

Like Johansson, Reynolds still has respect for his ex and the marriage they shared. 

"Departing a relationship and still maintaining the idea that this is still the same person I married is a great luxury that I experienced," he explained to Details. "Thankfully, I was in a relationship where two people chose to remain on the high road in every regard."