‘Life’s too short not to’: Jonathan Bailey insists kissing married Scarlett Johansson is him expressing love in ‘different ways’

Jonathan Bailey, who stars in the upcoming movie Jurassic World Rebirth, has responded to the photos of him kissing Scarlett Johansson at several red carpet events. These more-than-friendly kisses got a lot of attention, leading Bailey to explain why he did it.

He told Entertainment Tonight that he believes in showing affection to friends openly. “I believe in being able to show love in all different ways… And if you can’t kiss your friends … life’s too short not to.”

As detailed by Page Six, the photos first caused a stir last week at the Jurassic World Rebirth premiere in London. Johansson wore a bright pink Vivienne Westwood dress at the event, while Bailey wore a brown suit. The two shared a quick kiss, with Johansson touching Bailey’s cheek as he hugged her.

Yeah, Jonathan Bailey is the gay bestie

Photographers caught the moment, and it quickly spread on social media, making fans wonder about their relationship. The two were seen smiling the whole time. Their behavior continued at the New York City premiere on Monday. This time, Bailey wore a gray suit, and Johansson chose a classy ivory dress.

Scarlett Johansson’s husband, Colin Jost, was also at the New York event, even matching his wife by wearing a white suit. Even with Jost there, Bailey and Johansson kissed again, which got people talking even more. Besides the kisses, they also held hands on the red carpet, showing how close they apparently had gotten.

Scarlett Johansson has been married to comedian Colin Jost since October 2020. Together, they have a three-year-old son named Cosmo. Johansson also has a ten-year-old daughter, Rose, from her past marriage to Romain Dauriac. Since Jost was at the New York premiere, people have been paying even more attention to the red-carpet kisses.

Jonathan Bailey’s personal life also helps explain his perspective. The actor came out as gay publicly in 2018, though he had already told people close to him in his twenties. In a 2022 interview, Bailey talked about a time when he felt pressured to act straight to succeed in his career.

Eventually, he decided to be true to himself, saying he’d rather be able to hold his boyfriend’s hand in public or use his real photo on dating apps than worry about getting acting roles. While he keeps his romantic life private, Bailey confirmed in 2024 that he is dating a “lovely man.” He has said that keeping some parts of his life private is important so he can speak openly about other things without everything being judged by the public.

This background helps explain why he sees showing love in different ways as natural and supports the idea that his kisses with Johansson were just friendly. His openness about his sexuality and his current relationship makes it clear that his red carpet moments with Johansson were nothing more than warm, platonic gestures.