Sit up Hollywood gossip fans, because the supremely juicy ongoing Blake Lively drama has just spilled over into an entirely different movie. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll know the actress is embroiled in a no-holds-barred legal war against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, and it’s now also affecting her new film.
Lively recently lobbed a legal hand grenade at Baldoni in the form of a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni punted that grenade back with counter-allegations of civil extortion and defamation, insisting that Lively seized control of the It Ends With Us production through ultimatums and veiled threats. Since the controversy erupted in Dec. 2024, many have been wondering whether her next movie – the sequel to A Simple Favor – was canceled.
The movie’s director, Paul Feig, shut down those rumors a few weeks ago, telling fans on X that the sequel hasn’t been canceled and was in post-production. On Feb. 5, an announcement was made about the sequel, now titled Another Simple Favor. Prime Video shared a poster on social media revealing that the film will premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 7 in Austin, Texas, and will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting May 1.
Many felt the timing was off, given the ongoing controversy surrounding Lively, with the Instagram comments section quickly filling up with scathing remarks from Baldoni supporters. Many also noted how on the poster Lively’s name is positioned slightly higher than her co-star Anna Kendrick’s name, prompting one user to ask, “Did Blake refuse to work unless her name was slightly higher than Anna’s?” Another user wrote, “If we like Anna more Blake will sue Anna saying this is another smear campaign.”
In Baldoni’s lawsuit, he alleges that Lively seized control of the film, claiming that she demanded to rewrite scenes, insisted on picking her own wardrobe, went behind his back to hire an editor to create her own cut of the film, and tried to squeeze out Baldoni from the premiere. Commenters poked fun at Lively, with one remarking, “Produced, written, directed, edited by and starring Blake Lively,” with another adding, “Did she try to control this movie too?”
Another user asked, “Is it Paul Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut?” Feig, who has nothing but praise for Lively, was quick to defend the actress. He took the time to reply to the commenter, writing, “It’s my cut. There is no other cut. Blake has been nothing but supportive and a dream to work with. She is the best and an amazing collaborator and I’m her biggest fan. Just wanted to clear that up.”
After Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni in late Dec. 2024, she garnered support from the public and fellow celebrities. However, following Baldoni’s lawsuit against her, some fans reversed their stance, pledging to boycott Lively and her films. This fountain of behind-the-scenes drama won’t run dry anytime soon, so sit back, brew a pot of tea, and just wait for the next dramatic twist in the Lively/Baldoni tale to unfold.
Published: Feb 5, 2025 10:14 am