The Oscar-nominated actress’s demeanor shifted noticeably when she was questioned about her co-star, who has been making headlines due to an ongoing legal dispute.

Anna Kendrick made an appearance at the Austin, Texas, premiere of “Another Simple Favor” on March 7, 2025. When asked about working with Blake Lively again on the film, her three-word response quickly sparked online discussions, with one user commenting, “Speaks volumes.”

Kendrick was cheerfully signing autographs when a fan asked, “Anna, what does it mean to be working with Blake again?” In an instant, her smile faded. Without breaking stride, she simply replied, “Oh, you know.”

Her brief yet telling response ignited conversations across social media. One person remarked, “The way her facial expression changed,” followed by a string of crying face emojis. Meanwhile, another individual commented, “obsessed with this shady yet elusive response [sic],” adding a hand-covered face emoji.

The online reactions kept pouring in. “Did you notice her smile dropped the second she heard Blake’s name Loool,” said one netizen, adding relief emojis. “She does NOT like her,” another assumed.

Someone else was left amazed by Kendrick’s reaction, writing, “Wow! She says very little but explains a lot [sic].” Another fan expressed admiration, “Love her more now than ever before. Perfect response.” Meanwhile, one person exclaimed, “She dodged that REAL quick!” alongside a laughing face emoji.

The online buzz surrounding Kendrick’s reaction only grew as fans dissected every moment. Meanwhile, at the same event, Lively was approached with a similar question about reuniting with Kendrick for the film. Without hesitation, she responded, “Oh, it’s the best,” before adding, “I’m so happy to be here.”

Lively’s upbeat response added a different dynamic to the conversation, while director Paul Feig expressed his enthusiasm for reuniting with the cast.

Calling the chance to work with Lively and Kendrick again on “Another Simple Favor” “a dream come true,” he reflected on the experience in a recent interview.

“It was too much fun. Too much fun,” he noted, adding, “I had such a great experience on the first one. It always kind of stuck with me, like, ‘God, I love working with the two of them’ — as well as the rest of the cast.”

Feig’s excitement for the project has been evident, especially as he reassured fans about its release. In January 2025, he shut down speculation on X about the film being shelved, “This is total [expletive]. Sorry. The movie is finished and coming out soon. Don’t believe anything you read on social media these days.”

His eagerness to reassure fans only added to the anticipation surrounding the film’s release. The first installment, “A Simple Favor,” premiered in 2018, following Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick), a single mother and parenting vlogger, who forms an unlikely friendship with the mysterious Emily Nelson (Lively). When Emily disappears, Stephanie takes it upon herself to uncover the truth.

The sequel takes Stephanie and Emily to Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman. A teaser for the film shows Emily making a surprise entrance as Stephanie delivers a speech during her book release event.

Shocked, Stephanie asks if she broke out of prison, while Emily responds by inviting her to be her maid of honor. Along with an elite guest list, murder and betrayal are set to unfold at a wedding filled with unexpected twists.

The movie marks Lively’s return to the big screen following 2024’s “It Ends with Us,” a project that stirred controversy due to reported behind-the-scenes tensions among the cast.

As the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel hit theaters on August 6, 2024, speculation surrounding a possible rift between Lively and her co-star, Justin Baldoni, gained traction.

The film tells the story of Lily, a woman who rises above a difficult childhood to start anew. Her life takes a turn when she meets a charming neurosurgeon, but their relationship soon unravels in unexpected ways.

As previously reported, while the film attracted audiences, its promotional tour stirred up even more conversation. At the New York premiere, Baldoni and Lively noticeably avoided posing together, fueling rumors of tension.

Fans also pointed out that most of the cast does not follow Baldoni on Instagram. The speculation only grew when Baldoni skipped the Denmark premiere, and Hoover suddenly made her TikTok account private.

Some online discussions compared the situation to the reported tensions between Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine during the “Don’t Worry Darling” press tour.

One possible cause for the alleged rift involves Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds. At the premiere, she revealed that he had contributed to a key rooftop scene, explaining, “We help each other. He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine, and mine are his.”

While she framed it as a natural collaboration, Baldoni — who directed the film — may not have welcomed the outside involvement. Sources confirm that Reynolds contributed dialogue to the scene, though he did not write the entire sequence.

Adding to the speculation, reports suggest that Lively commissioned her own cut of the film with editor Shane Reid — known for his work on “Deadpool & Wolverine” and Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” music video.

While multiple edits are common during post-production, this decision may have clashed with Baldoni’s creative vision. Lively also had input on the film’s music, costumes, and dialogue, further complicating the dynamic between the lead actors.

Another theory links the tension to Baldoni’s alleged handling of certain scenes. Insiders claim he focused more on the perspective of his character, an abusive partner, rather than considering Lively’s role.

A source disclosed in an interview, “During scenes depicting abuse, Justin failed to consider Blake’s character’s perspective, instead focusing solely on what he believed was the abusive male viewpoint.” The insider also described his approach as “very chauvinistic.”

Concerns about Baldoni’s on-set behavior allegedly extended beyond his interactions with Lively. The same source stated that some female crew members felt uncomfortable around him, claiming his attitude at times resembled that of his character. They also alleged that when challenged, he became “less empathetic.”

Reports of on-set friction continued. Some sources claim Baldoni made Lively, a mother of four, “uncomfortable” about her postpartum figure. Others suggested that the tension extended to the entire cast, with one source asserting, “None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin.”

At the New York premiere, Deadline asked Jenny Slate about her experience working with Baldoni as both a director and co-star. Her response was notably reserved. While she acknowledged the difficulty of balancing both roles, she avoided mentioning him by name.

Speculation intensified when a video surfaced showing Lively and Baldoni engaged in what appeared to be a heated discussion while filming in Hoboken, New Jersey.

The footage, captured on May 17, 2023, shows Lively outside a restaurant looking visibly upset while Baldoni directs the scene. While one source downplayed the exchange as a standard between-takes discussion, another suggested that Lively often seemed unhappy on set.

Despite the off-screen drama, the film performed well at the box office, opening just behind “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, some believe the controversy surrounding the project was manufactured as a marketing strategy.

Under a People Instagram post, a social media user commented, “It occur to anyone that it’s a publicity stunt given the nature of his character [sic]??” Another person questioned, “Could it all just be a PR stunt to grab attention to the movie? I read the books but had no idea there was even a movie out until I heard about this drama.”

Others pointed to similar strategies in past film promotions, including “Anyone but You,” which benefited from speculation about an off-screen romance between Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney.

As discussions about whether the controversy was a calculated PR move continued, Baldoni took steps to manage his public image. Prior to the film’s release, the director brought in crisis public relations manager Melissa Nathan of The Agency Group.

With a client list that includes Drake, Johnny Depp, and Logan Paul, Nathan has handled high-profile reputations amid public scrutiny. Each of these figures has faced media storms, making her experience particularly relevant in crisis management.

Hollywood frequently turns to crisis PR specialists to shape the narrative and limit potential fallout. These experts assist clients in navigating negative press and maintaining public perception.

However, some questioned whether Baldoni required such intervention, as much of the backlash at the time was directed at Lively.

As “It Ends with Us” continued to generate headlines, the off-screen drama surrounding its cast became just as compelling as the film itself. From Lively’s strained reunion with Kendrick on “Another Simple Favor” to the speculation surrounding her dynamic with Baldoni, the controversies ensured that audiences remained invested long after the credits rolled.