Disney issues scathing response to Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow lawsuit

Scarlett Johansson.
(Image credit: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP, File)

Disney blasted the breach of contract lawsuit filed against the company by Scarlett Johansson on Thursday, saying it has "no merit whatsoever" and is "especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

In her suit, Johansson says that because Disney released her Marvel film Black Widow in theaters and streaming on Disney+ at the same time, she lost out on millions in backend compensation; a person familiar with the terms of Johansson's contract told The Wall Street Journal this move cost her more than $50 million.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.