Topline
Blake Lively made one of her first public appearances since she and her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Justin Baldoni filed dueling lawsuits, attending the premiere of her first film since the legal feud, “Another Simple Favor,” where her legal drama was sometimes alluded to.
Key Facts
Lively attended the premiere for “Another Simple Favor,” the sequel to “A Simple Favor” (2018), on Friday night at the South by Southwest festival, her first public appearance since the 50th anniversary special for “Saturday Night Live” and her first public speaking engagement since filing her lawsuits.
One protester demonstrated outside the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, wearing a shirt that says “Blake Lied” and holding a sign that states: “Justice for Justin Baldoni.”
The woman appeared to be the only protester, and an X user, whose bio states she covers “Me Too hoaxes” and previously defended Johnny Depp and Marilyn Manson against abuse allegations, claimed credit for the demonstration, though she described the protest as a “non-event” and a “big joke.”
A reporter from Variety asked Anna Kendrick, Lively’s “Another Simple Favor” co-star, how it feels to attend the premiere amid “everything happening”—a possible reference to Lively’s feud—to which Kendrick replied: “Why, what happened? I did ayahuasca and the last year of my life is just gone, but I’ve heard the movie’s amazing.”
“Another Simple Favor” director Paul Feig, who has previously said Lively “did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her,” referring to Lively’s allegation that Baldoni and his PR team orchestrated a smear campaign, praised Lively at the premiere, calling her “the most amazing collaborator.”
Lively was met with a warm reception at the festival, Variety reported, as she posed for pictures with fans and the crowd erupted into cheers when Lively appeared on screen.
What Did Lively Say At The Premiere?
Lively spoke primarily about her work on “Another Simple Favor” at the premiere, telling the crowd her character is her “favorite character I’ve ever been fortunate enough to play,” stating the director threw her a “curveball” with a certain twist that she opted not to spoil for attendees. Lively joked watching the premiere in front of a big crowd was “uncomfortable” and “my own personal torture,” prompting laughs from the audience.
What To Watch For
“Another Simple Favor,” Lively’s first film since “It Ends With Us,” arrives on Prime Video on May 1. The film does not yet have a Rotten Tomatoes critics score, but five of the first seven reviews are positive. The Hollywood Reporter praised Lively and Kendrick’s chemistry, calling the film “unmistakable camp” but criticizing the main characters as underdeveloped. In a negative review, Variety called it “more labored than clever” with “more twists and less fun” than the first movie.
Tangent
The premiere was Lively’s first public appearance since she and her husband Ryan Reynolds, who is also named as a defendant in Baldoni’s lawsuit, attended the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special. During the monologue performed by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, Poehler asked Reynolds how he was doing, and he replied: “Great. Why, what have you heard?” which some interpreted as a reference to their ongoing legal battle with Baldoni.
What’s Going On With Lively And Baldoni’s Legal Feud?
Lively and Baldoni have been locked in a legal battle since they both filed dueling lawsuits within days of each other between late December and early January. Lively first filed a civil rights complaint in California, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, before filing a lawsuit in New York federal court, making largely the same claims. Baldoni first sued the New York Times, accusing the paper of colluding with Lively to write an article on an alleged smear campaign Baldoni’s representatives conducted against Lively. Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively weeks later, denying accusations of sexual harassment while accusing Lively, Reynolds and their publicist Leslie Sloane of orchestrating a smear campaign, and alleging Lively worked to usurp his control on “It Ends With Us.” Lawyers representing both parties have attacked one another in the press, prompting criticism from the district judge presiding over the case. At a hearing Thursday, Lively’s lawyers requested certain information be treated as highly classified “attorney’s eyes only” material, including texts between Lively and her celebrity friends, citing the risk of press leaks. Lively and Baldoni’s trial is set to begin March 9, 2026
