Scarlett Johansson has confirmed reports she used to date Sean Penn.

The 27-year-old actress was linked to the I Am Sam star for a short while last year following her split with husband Ryan Reynolds. In an interview with the US edition of Vogue, she opened up about the unlikely relationship with the actor who is 24 years her senior.

"We spent time together, yeah. I never put a title on it, really, but we were seeing each other," she revealed. "He's a remarkable person. He really is."

Scarlett caused quite a stir when reports surfaced about her relationship with the 51-year-old. She admits she enjoyed relative privacy during her two-year marriage to Ryan compared to her short-lived fling with Sean.

"We always kept our story private - how we met, our wedding, everything. It was about us," she said of her relationship with Ryan.

The Avengers star also addressed the downfall of her marriage. She admits she had a hard time as they finalised their divorce last July.

"[The divorce] was horrible. Of course it's horrible. It was devastating. It really throws you. You think that your life is going to be one way, and then, for various reasons or whatever, it doesn't work out," she said.

"This was something I never thought I would be doing. And there's no way to navigate it. Nobody can give you the right answer. It's never anything you want to hear. It's a very lonely thing. It's like the loneliest thing you'll ever do, in some way."

However, she has no regrets about marrying Ryan. She remembers the good times and hopes that time will heal her heartache.

"It was a beautiful thing. The falling in love and getting married and making that commitment... I think it's nice to know that you're capable of loving somebody in that way. I think it's a rare opportunity," she said.

"I don't feel on the other side of it completely, but it gets better. It's still there. More than anything, it's just that not having your buddy around all the time is weird. There's no rule book. I think it's just time."