Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Pete Davidson made what Jost himself would later call “absolutely the dumbest and least thought-through purchase” of his life.
They successfully bid $280,100 at a public auction for the decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat, the MV John F. Kennedy.
The massive, aging vessel—a pile of floating scrap metal in the eyes of many—was instantly ridiculed by friends and the public as the most foolish financial decision in celebrity history.
The attention quickly turned to Scarlett Johansson, Jost’s A-list actress wife, who was expected to be furious that her husband had acquired such a financial and logistical “burden.”
Instead of forbidding the “madness,” Johansson’s reaction earned widespread admiration for its unique blend of acceptance and sharp, pragmatic humor.
The $280,000 Impulse and Public Ridicule
The impulse purchase—undertaken with grand but vague plans to transform the 277-foot, 65,000-square-foot vessel into a luxury restaurant or event space—drew immediate mockery.
Pete Davidson joked the purchase happened while they were “very stoned,” a claim Jost refutes, but the comedy only emphasizes the recklessness of the move.
The Data: The vessel, built in 1965, was retired from service and bought in “poor” condition for $280,100.
The subsequent estimated renovation costs were projected to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
The Acknowledgment: Both comedians have repeatedly joked about their buyer’s remorse, with Pete Davidson once quipping that they were “losing millions on this ferry.”
Scarlett’s Reaction: Pragmatism Meets Support
The public expected a classic marital showdown, but Johansson’s public comments demonstrate a mature, supportive, and distinctly witty approach to her husband’s unexpected venture.
When Jost first told her about the purchase, her reaction was one of pure disbelief: “She was just like, ‘Wait, so you own this boat now?’ Very fair question,” Jost recalled.
However, Johansson quickly transitioned from disbelief to a unique form of supportive pragmatism.
Scarlett Johansson’s Unique Advice: “She now obviously sees the value in it, but also I think she’s like, ‘It’s now become something that is a defining thing for you guys and an interesting thing for you guys. So you should take it seriously and figure out the best version of it, because for better or worse, it’s going to reflect on you.'”
The actress encouraged him to “take it seriously” and make the most of the peculiar situation, proving she supported the “madness.”
The Humor: Her unique spin was also delivered with A-list sarcasm.
“People laughed at him for ‘throwing money away’ on a pile of floating scrap metal – but it was Scarlett Johansson’s attitude that earned everyone’s admiration.”
She has jokingly suggested that the struggling partners should sell the boat for “scrap metal.”
On a television appearance with Jost, she urged the public to start a GoFundMe to help the family manage the expenses—a masterful way to address the burden while publicly standing by her husband’s side.
By refusing to be the furious, prohibitive anticipation and instead becoming a witty, pragmatic supporter, Scarlett Johansson turned her husband’s most regrettable impulse bought into a charming, shared celebrity anecdote that earned everyone’s admiration.