Scarlett Johansson faced unexpected criticism when choosing a name for her baby – and was even pressured to change her son’s name after he was born.
Naming your baby can be difficult, but most parents go with what they believe is the most beautiful name. No matter what you choose, though, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it. In some cases, for whatever reason, those critics feel oddly compelled to say so. That’s something actor Scarlett Johansson experienced when naming her son.
In 2014, Scarlett and her ex-husband Romain Dauriac welcomed their daughter, Rose Dorothy. A few years later, she gave birth to her son, Cosmo, with her husband Colin Jost.
The couple chose not to reveal Cosmo’s name right away, keeping it private for some time.
“I didn’t want any of the weird face that people make when you tell them a name and they don’t like it,” she said on Today with Jenna and Friends, according to Café Mom, adding, “If you’re carrying, you’re like, ‘I’m not here for it.’ I don’t want any of your opinions.”
Scarlett Johansson was pushed to change her baby’s name
When they eventually shared their son’s name, Jost’s mother expressed her disappointment – even suggesting the couple should change it.
“A few days after she goes, ‘Cosimo is a name I can find.’ That’s a recognizable name,” Johansson recalled. “I was like, ‘We’re not just gonna insert an ‘I,’ this is what it is.’”
Colin Jost also confirmed his mother’s initial hesitation during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, according to Café Mom.
“My mom, I would say, was slightly thrown by it and didn’t quite understand it,” he said. “I don’t know if she thought it was kind of like a hippie thing.”
The suggestion to change Cosmo’s name to Cosimo apparently came up multiple times, but the couple ultimately decided to stick with their original choice.
Scarlett’s own mother, however, had a different reaction.
“My mom loved it, which was like, ‘phew,’” Johansson said on Today with Jenna and Friends. “She was like, ‘Oh my third grade crush was named Cosmo.’ It had a great meaning for her.”
READ MORE
- 2-year-old’s eyebrows were first sign of condition before devastating diagnosis
- Five common early MS signs after Christina Applegate revealed she “ignored” first symptoms
