If you’ve ever fallen down a late-night Wikipedia rabbit hole of Saturday Night Live history, you might’ve done a double-take at a certain entry. Before he was one-half of a Hollywood power couple with Scarlett Johansson, Colin Jost was in a serious, long-term relationship with another comedy icon: Rashida Jones.
It feels like a fever dream now, right?
The pair was remarkably low-key, but they weren't just a fleeting summer fling. They were together for roughly three years. This wasn't some tabloid-fueled "showmance" to promote a movie; it was a real-deal relationship between two Harvard grads who basically ran the comedy world from behind (and in front of) the scenes. But since they were so private, the details of the Colin Jost and Rashida Jones split have remained a bit of a mystery to casual fans.
How it Started: A Wedding to Remember
Most people forget that back in 2013, Colin Jost wasn't the household name he is today. He was a head writer at SNL, sure, but he hadn't yet taken over the Weekend Update desk. Rashida, on the other hand, was already a star thanks to The Office and Parks and Recreation.
The spark allegedly flew in September 2013 at a very "industry" event: Seth Meyers’ wedding to Alexi Ashe in Martha’s Vineyard. It’s kinda poetic, isn't it? Seth, the guy who essentially mentored Colin, provided the backdrop for his next big romance. Reports from Us Weekly at the time said they "hit it off" instantly.
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Within weeks, they were spotted walking arm-in-arm in the West Village. They looked like any other New York couple—hoodies, sneakers, and coffee cups in hand. For the next three years, they were a fixture in the New York comedy scene, though they almost never talked about each other in interviews.
The Three-Year Stretch
From late 2013 through most of 2016, Jost and Jones were a solid unit. They shared a lot in common beyond just being funny. Both are Ivy League educated (Harvard alumni, specifically) and both grew up with deep ties to the industry—Rashida as the daughter of music legend Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton, and Colin as a Staten Island native who climbed the ranks of the Harvard Lampoon.
They managed to stay under the radar despite their growing profiles. You wouldn't see them doing joint magazine covers or gushing on Instagram. Honestly, that’s probably why their eventual breakup didn't cause the kind of "internet meltdown" we see with modern celeb splits.
Why Did Colin Jost and Rashida Jones Split?
By late 2016, the relationship had quietly reached its end. There were no dramatic cheating scandals or public blowout fights. In the world of celebrity gossip, no news is usually just... boring news.
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The most likely culprit? Timing and career shifts.
By 2016, Colin was fully settled into the Weekend Update chair, a job that famously requires grueling 80-hour work weeks and keeps you tethered to 30 Rock. Meanwhile, Rashida’s career was exploding into producing and writing (like Toy Story 4 and Angie Tribeca), often requiring her to be in Los Angeles.
The Ezra Koenig Factor
Not long after the split, Rashida was seen getting cozy with Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig. Interestingly, there was a hilarious moment at a fashion dinner in late 2016 where a photo agency actually misidentified Ezra as Colin Jost. Talk about an awkward transition!
Rashida and Ezra eventually welcomed a son in 2018, proving she had moved into a completely different chapter of her life.
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The Scarlett Johansson Era
While Rashida found her "forever" with Ezra, Colin's path took a legendary turn. In May 2017, just months after things cooled off with Rashida, the rumors started swirling about Colin and Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett had hosted SNL for the fifth time, and the chemistry was reportedly "off the charts" at the afterparty. It’s wild to think that if the Colin Jost and Rashida Jones split hadn't happened when it did, one of the most famous marriages in Hollywood might never have existed.
What We Can Learn From Their Breakup
Celebrity breakups usually feel like a performance, but Jost and Jones gave us a masterclass in how to move on without the mess.
- Privacy is Power: By not making their relationship their entire brand, they were able to separate without the public picking sides or digging for dirt.
- The "Right Person, Wrong Time" Theory: Sometimes two people fit perfectly on paper (Harvard, comedy, NYC lifestyle), but life's trajectory just pulls them in different directions.
- Friendship Matters: Both have remained professional and respectful. You won't find any "diss tracks" or "tell-all" chapters in Colin’s memoir, A Very Punchable Face, regarding Rashida.
If you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s basically this: A breakup doesn't have to be a failure. Sometimes, it’s just the necessary space required for both people to find the person they’re actually supposed to be with.
To keep up with how these stars have evolved since their split, you might want to check out Rashida’s latest production credits or catch Colin’s upcoming stand-up specials. Both have proven that while their romantic partnership ended, their individual peaks were still ahead of them.