Scarlett Johansson explains why she was so 'protective' of her pregnancies

Scarlett Johansson opened up about her experience as a mother while also being a public figure.

The "Avengers" star is mom to her 7-year-old daughter, Rose, whom she shares with ex-husband Romain Dauriac, and her 7-month-old son, Cosmo, whom she shares with husband Colin Jost.

Johansson, 37, told Vanity Fair she was "so protective of both pregnancies, not wanting to feel scrutinized in the public eye."

"I wanted to be able to have my own feelings about my changing body without other people also telling me how they saw me, whether it was positive or negative," the actress said, adding that "it's funny how much stuff people put on you when you're pregnant -- their hopes or their judgment or their desire."

Johansson explained that while she was "definitely excited to be pregnant in some ways," she also had "a lot of not-great feelings about it" -- a sentiment she felt would be "scrutinized."

"One friend, when I told her that I was pregnant -- she knew I was trying to get pregnant -- she was just like, 'Oh s---. Great, but not great.' And I was like, 'You're a true friend,'" the "Black Widow" star continued.

Johansson said she feels that "a lot of things have moved forward in the past five years in terms of women's empowerment, but that thing remains sort of in the Dark Ages."

She added, "So much judgment, it's crazy."