Celebrity snot apparently has some serious value. And when fans consider inflation, Scarlett Johannson's snot, in particular, is worth a ton of cash.
As BBC News reported, back in 2008, the in-demand actress was chatting with Jay Leno on 'Tonight' when she used a tissue to blow her nose. Well, as BBC highlighted, she blew it twice on the pricey tissue, leaving some lipstick behind.
Right after, she bagged the tissue in a plastic zipper bag, signed it, and announced she'd be auctioning the rag off to charity. But why?
Well, to hear Scarlett tell it, her cold was of particular value because, she says, she caught it from Samuel L. Jackson. While the two were working together on the film 'The Spirit,' they somehow swapped germs, according to Johansson.
The star, who has also had some interesting experiences on other films like 'Lost in Translation,' took advantage of her illness to partner with Jay on this altruistic endeavor. The actress clearly doesn't need to pocket the cash from the sale of her used tissue!
Instead, the $5,300 sales price went to a charity of her choosing; USA Harvest received the proceeds. Of course, considering inflation, that amounts to about $6,400 today.
Blowing her nose isn't the only thing Scarlett has done for charity, though. She remained involved with USA Harvest long after the sneeze that earned $5K, and she told NBC News that she loves the org because it has nothing to do with the government.
The star elaborated that "it is completely nonprofit so every dollar that is donated goes to buying cans of food. Every dollar buys roughly two cans of food to be delivered to assorted missions around the country that distribute the goods."
Charity work helping children, which seems to be Johansson's primary focus, is probably even more meaningful to her now that she has a young daughter. Rose Dorothy Dauriac, Scarlett's daughter with her ex Romain, is now six years old. While Scarlett and her ex largely keep Rose out of the public eye, that doesn't mean she isn't learning a lot from how her mom lives life.
She may not be traveling as much these days, due to both parenthood and the pandemic, but Scarlett remains committed to facing off for organizations that help feed kids, put shoes on their feet (and on parents' feet, too), treat and work on cures for AIDS, and more.
Her mucus might be just as gross as the next person's but it's Scarlett's star status that made it valuable, and the fan who bought it didn't seem to mind the nastiness. No word on who that "lucky" fan was, of course, but it's safe to say they're happy enough with their purchase.