Ryan Reynold’s friends were kept in the dark about his engagement to Scarlett Johansson, and send the actor a text message to confirm the story was true.

Reynolds' Definitely, Maybe co-star Elizabeth Banks says the couple wanted to send a message, rather than call their pals.

She tells Usmagazine: "I texted him to say, 'Are you really engaged or is this a joke?' And he said, 'Yes, we're really engaged!'"

Johansson and Reynolds have been dating since February 2007, shortly after Blade: Trinity star Reynolds broke off his engagement to singer Alanis Morissette.

They announced their engagement earlier this month.