DirectorPaul Feigcontinues to show his support forBlake Lively. TheAnother Simple Favordirector has come to Lively’s defense numerous times amid her ongoing legal battle withIt Ends With Usdirector and co-star Justin Baldoni. Ahead ofAnother Simple Favor’s SXSW premiere on March 7, Feig, stars Anna Kendrick and Lively, Amazon Prime Video, and Amazon MGM Studios shared an Instagram post promoting the anticipated sequel to 2018’sA Simple Favor. In the comment section, one social media user asked if the final feature was “Paul Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut.”
Feig bluntly responded:
“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.”
For those not keeping up with the Lively/Baldoni saga, the social media user is referencing reports thatIt Ends With Ushad two different versions, with Lively and Baldoni each having their own edit.
This isn’t the first time Feig has publicly defended Lively. In December, following news of Lively’s filing, Feig spoke about his positive experience collaborating with Lively onA Simple Favorand its upcoming sequel. On X, he shared:
“I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this.”
More recently, Feig addressed rumors of a feud between Lively and Kendrick, which some claimed had led to the movie’s release being canceled. Feig dismissed these rumors as “total BS,” (via X/Twitter), confirming the film was finished and coming soon, praising the “amazing performances” of both actresses.
Blake Lively’s Legal Drama: Will It Impact ‘Another Simple Favor’?
Feig’s continued support comes as Lively continues to face scrutiny (a look through the comments on the promo forAnother Simple Favorindicates a negative perception of the actress). Beyond the legal drama, fans took issue with Lively’s behavior during the press tour forIt Ends With Us, where some felt she wasn’t adequately addressing the heavy themes the film explores. At the time, some social media users began resurfacing several past interviews that they felt negatively portrayed Lively.
On December 21, Lively filed a suit against Baldoni, and It Ends With Usproducers;Baldoni countersued Lively, husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm, Vision PR, on January 16 to the tune of $400 million. Both trials are set for March 2026. On February 5,Lively was sued by a crisis management PR firmadding to the legal complexities surroundingIt Ends With Us.
It’s unfortunate that the legal drama between Baldoni and Lively could potentially impact audience reception ofAnother Simple Favor, as many have anticipated the sequel. The 2018 film was critically lauded and remains one of the most successful features - both critically and commercially - of Lively’s career: it is her highest-grossing movie and second only toThe Townon Rotten Tomatoes. Whether audiences can separate the off-screen issues from their appreciation of the sequel remains to be seen.
Another Simple Favorsstars Lively, Kendrick, and Henry Golding. It will be available to stream on Prime Video on May 1.
