Late. Katie Britt called it ‘amazing’ that actress Scarlett Johansson portrayed her on Saturday Night Live – even though the star ridiculed her as ‘the craziest b**** in the Target parking lot’.
Speaking to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on his podcast Wednesday, Britt (R-Ala.) joked how “pumped” she was to see the Black Widow actress play her in the SNL spoof of her State of the Union rejection.
Cruz called Johansson “hot” and complimented the Alabama senator for getting someone of the same gender to play her on TV.
Britt was widely ridiculed for her contradiction — mostly for telling a 20-year story of child trafficking in a way that made it seem like it happened under President Joe Biden’s border policies.
Scarlett Johansson played Sen. Katie Britt in a critical, mocking portrayal of the Alabama Republican’s rebuttal of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union
Britt was criticized for his delivery of the rebuttal, but also for telling a 20-year history of child sex trafficking that seemed to suggest occurred during the current president’s border policy
Johansson’s Britt said she would ‘turn out of nowhere into a shockingly violent story about sex trafficking. Be sure every detail about it is real except the year it happened and who was president when it happened.’
But other than that, SNL’s cold open was more focused on Britt’s delivery.
Cruz is no stranger to the SNL stage and has been portrayed many times on the comedy show commenting on current events, pop culture and politics. Actor and comedian Aidy Bryant has played Cruz on the NBC skit show on several occasions.
“What was the coolest thing is that you’re played by Scarlett Johansson,” Cruz asks.
“I mean, how amazing is that?” said Britt, 42.
“OK, Katie look — Scarlett Johansson is hot,” Cruz said, to which the mother of two laughed and replied, “Yeah!”
“And I’m genuinely jealous because, look, SNL has come after me a bunch of times,” Cruz continued. “They never get Tom Cruise to play me. Why are you getting a beautiful movie star? And like, you know, that’s a real compliment that you should be pretty psyched about.’
“Well, I was actually pretty into it,” Britt said on his colleague’s podcast. And you’re wondering who on earth is going to play you, right? And I have to be honest with you, a bingo card for 2024 for Katie Britt – I didn’t have that.’
‘It could be worse. I mean, Scarlett Johnannson, here you have Black Widow—bring in someone from the Avengers—to play me in the open. I’m here for that. It was a pretty funny moment, she concluded.
Saturday Night Live wasted no time mocking last week’s State of the Union address, but focused most of the attention on Britt’s Republican rebuttal.
Britt was mocked online after the event as her tone shifted from dark and ominous to light and breezy and at times deeply emotional.
On Saturday, the younger senator was portrayed by Johansson, 39, in a surprise appearance and a hilarious take on the senator.
Cruz joked that Britt was played by the same gender. “At least you were played by a woman,” he said in a podcast interview with Britt. ‘I have also been played by a woman. Pictured: Actress and comedian Aidy Bryant (center) portrays Cruz on SNL
Bryant dons a fake beard while playing Cruz on SNL, and she stands next to Kate McKinnon, who portrayed Dr. Anthony Fauci in an episode of SNL on December 11, 2021
‘Good evening America, my name is Katie Britt and I have the honor of serving the people of the great state of Alabama. But tonight I’m auditioning for the part of ‘Scary Mom’. I will be performing an original monologue called “This Country is Hell,” Johansson said as she delivered her rendition of Britt’s speech.
“You see, I’m not just a senator, I’m a wife, a mother, and the craziest b***h in the Target parking lot, worried about our children’s future.”
Cruz had nothing but praise for Johansson’s portrayal and has pointed out how ‘cool’ it was to have Britt played by the A-list actress.
“In terms of Republican portraits — like, they’ve had some vicious ones,” the Texas Republican said. “OK, let’s start with – at least you were played by a woman.”
“When SNL has me, I’ve also been played by a woman,” Cruz added. ‘They cast Aidy Bryant as me. And she’s really funny’
‘By the way, she looks pretty good with a beard.’
Johansson, in her role as Sen. Britt, said she told her children that “Mom stunned the whole country” in her rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union last Thursday.
During the real Republican response Thursday night, Britt told a story about a sex-trafficking victim that she used as fodder to criticize the current chaos at the southern border under the Biden administration.
But the story of Karla Jacinto Romero’s child sex trafficking horror was from 2004-2008, when President George W. Bush was in office.
Some blamed Britt for using the story to fan the flames of hatred against illegal immigrants and migrants seeking asylum at the southern border.
Johansson ended her mocking speech by laying into the fear-mongering progressives Republicans accuse of being at the border, saying: ‘The American people who are struggling right now know this: We hear you. See you. We smell you. We’re in your kitchen right now, looking through your fridge. And what’s on the top shelf? Migrants.’