Blake Lively Speaks in Public for First Time Since Justin Baldoni Controversy at ‘Another Simple Favor' SXSW Premiere
At the South by Southwest premiere of 'Another Simple Favor,' Blake Lively spoke in public for the first time since her legal battle with Justin Baldoni began in December.
'I love this character so much. It's probably my favorite character I've ever been fortunate enough to play,' she said onstage at Austin's Paramount Theater after the screening. 'So when Paul asked us to come back, I was so excited.'
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Though no one referenced the Baldoni controversy directly, support for Lively among her collaborators was clear. On the red carpet before the premiere, director Paul Feig told Variety that she is 'the most amazing collaborator,' adding that 'every movie star has opinions about what they're doing. I haven't worked with one that doesn't want to get in there and work on stuff and make it better. That's our process. I love that Blake works that way.' Lively skipped doing interviews on the carpet, but did take a moment to greet fans.
Despite the presence of one pro-Baldoni protestor outside of the premiere, who wore a shirt saying 'Blake Lied,' Lively received a warm welcome at SXSW, with the crowd erupting into applause and cheers every time her name was mentioned in the introduction to the film — and more so when she first appeared on screen, saying, 'Boo!'
Lively's first scene in 'Another Simple Favor' felt eerily prescient given her legal situation: Her character, Emily, jokingly threatens to sue Anna Kendrick's character, and tells a cop played by Bashir Salahuddin to expect a subpoena soon.
SXSW marks Lively's second public appearance since her fallout with her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star, following the 'Saturday Night Live' 50th anniversary special in February, where she walked the red carpet alongside husband Ryan Reynolds, who appeared in a Weekend Update segment that night.
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