A response from actress Anna Kendrick on working with Blake Lively during her legal battle with former costar Justin Baldoni has had many questioning -- even as new developments continue to unfold.
Kendrick's three-word response to what it was like working with Lively again as the two reprise their roles for "Another Simple Favor" raised eyebrows from some and generated praise from others. Now, the director of the film has weighed in and Lively has spoken on social media.
The latest round of headlines sparked at the world premiere of the film at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
"Another Simple Favor" marks Lively's return into the spotlight since her legal battle with "It Ends With Us" director and co-star Baldoni began. The films once against stars Kendrick as Stephanie Smothers and Lively as Emily Nelson, two women bonded by murder in the first iteration "A Simple Favor."
While greeting fans at the premiere, Kendrick, who stars alongside Lively in the latest film, was asked what it was likely to once again work with actress.
"Oh, you know," Kendrick responded.
Entertainment
Lively was asked a similar question on working with Kendrick, but had a very different answer.
"It's the best! I'm so happy to be here," she said.
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The comment raised some eyebrows from fans who questioned whether the two actresses may not be on the best of terms.
Kendrick had avoided other questions seemingly hinting at the Lively-Baldoni saga throughout the next, one point acting as though she didn't even know about it.
“Why, what happened?," she asked a reporter. "I did ayahuasca, and the last year of my life is just gone, but I heard the movie is amazing.”
At one point, YouTuber Melanie King wrote on X that Lively was "terrified to walk the carpet as Anna is pissed and never wants to work with her again."
That sparked a response from "Another Simple Favor" director Paul Feig.
"Um … you’re wrong," he replied.
Um … you’re wrong. https://t.co/aJ8zJGv2Tn
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) March 8, 2025
On Wednesday, Lively also took to social media to praise her colleagues.
"I know how fortunate I am to work with each of you. Thank you to my friends and loved ones for making this weekend so special. Ok. Back to sweatpants now. That was fun," she captioned a series of images on Instagram.
Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds have been locked in a heated legal and media battle with Baldoni for months.
“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel, was released in August, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between the lead pair.
How it started
Rumors of a rift between Lively and Baldoni had been spreading even as the highly anticipated film premiered in August.
The rumors sparked during promotion for the film, which centers on a theme of domestic violence.
Lively was also a producer of the film, while Baldoni, in addition to playing a leading role, served as the director and an executive producer.
During the lead-up to the premiere, Lively rarely spoke of her co-star during press interviews and Baldoni was noticeably absent from certain appearances with other stars, which had some fans questioning.
Baldoni took a backseat in promoting the film while Lively took centerstage along with Reynolds, who was on the press circuit for “Deadpool & Wolverine” at the same time.
But Lively also received backlash from some on social media for her approach at promoting the film, which some said belittled the troubling theme behind the film.
Lively addressed some of that criticism in an interview shortly after the film premiered.
"This movie covers domestic violence," she told BBC News at the Aug. 8 London premiere, "but what's important about this film is that she is not just a survivor and she's not just a victim, and while those are huge things to be, they're not her identity."
The legal battle
Things shifted dramatically when Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni in December, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy” her reputation.
The complaint, which preceded a lawsuit, names Baldoni, the studio behind “It Ends With Us” and Baldoni's publicists among the defendants.
In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni and the studio of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation following a meeting in which she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement. Freedman represents Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives.
Freedman pushed back against Lively's allegations of a coordinated campaign, saying the studio “proactively” hired a crisis manager “due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production." He said Lively threatened to not appear on set and not promote the film “if her demands were not met.” Those demands were not specified in the statement.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement at the time.
Following the complaint, Baldoni was reportedly dropped as a client by talent agency WME.
In January, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband for defamation. Baldoni’s suit seeks at least $400 million for damages, including lost future income. The Lively lawsuit came the same day that Baldoni sued The New York Times for libel, alleging the paper worked with Lively to smear him.
The lawsuit said the plaintiffs did not want to file the suit, but that Lively “has unequivocally left them with no choice, not only to set the record straight in response to Lively’s accusations, but also to put the spotlight on the parts of Hollywood that they have dedicated their careers to being the antithesis of.”
Lively slammed Baldoni's countersuit, with her legal team accusing him of "trying to shift the narrative."
“This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim," Lively's lawyers said in a Jan. 16 statement. "This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender."
What co-stars said
Brandon Sklenar, who starred as Atlas Corrigan in the film alongside Lively and Baldoni, posted to his Instagram Story on Dec. 23, sharing a link to a New York Times article that includes the entirety of Lively's legal complaint alongside a message, saying, "For the love of god read this." The story also tagged Lively's social media handle with a heart emoji next to it.
But when asked last month during a "CBS Mornings" interview if he was “Team Blake” or “Team Justin,” Sklenar said he was simply “Team It Ends With Us.”
“I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, just keeping the focus on that," he said.
Jenny Slate, who played the best friend of Lively's character in the film, also issued a statement exclusively to TODAY.com shortly after the legal battle began, saying she stands by her “loyal friend” and “trusted source of emotional support.”
“As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate said. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”
She continued: “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
Baldoni's wife shared a message of support to him in January amid the slew of legal challenges. On Jan. 24, she took to Instagram to pay tribute to him on his 41st birthday, writing, "Happy birthday my love. Celebrating the man, husband, and father that you are. I’d choose you again and again."
A possible trial
A New York judge set a March 2026 trial date as the public feud continued to grow and accelerate.
The New York federal judge, Lewis J. Liman, told both sides to prepare for a March 9, 2026, trial.
Liman warned lawyers to obey court rules about public statements meant to ensure a fair trial.
