Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick's 'Another Simple Favor' director slams claims the actresses are feuding
On March 7, social media personality Melanie King speculated that Lively and Kendrick were at odds ahead of promoting their film, a sequel to the 2018 movie, "A Simple Favor."
"Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick before they walk the red carpet at the sxsw Another Simple Favor premiere. I just reported on Blake being terrified to walk the carpet as Anna is pissed and never wants to work with her again," King wrote on X.
Paul Feig, the movie's director, responded by writing,"Um … you're wrong."
During the red carpet premiere, Kendrick seemed to give a cryptic response when asked what it was like working with Lively again.
"Oh, you know," Kendrick said in a video, shared by Entertainment Tonight.
In another video shared by Variety, the "Pitch Perfect" alum was asked how the release of "Another Simple Favor" has been affected by everything going on in the world - seemingly referring to the legal drama between Lively and her former "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni.
Kendrick quipped, "Why, what happened? I did ayahuasca, and the last year of my life is just gone."
In December, Lively filed her lawsuit against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath for sexual harassment, retaliation and emotional distress. She first filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights department and later filed one in federal court in December.
In response, Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion and defamation.
In addition to releasing a website detailing the timeline of events that allegedly occurred, Baldoni's team also shared unedited footage from the set of "It Ends With Us." Both Lively and Baldoni have claimed the footage bolsters their respective claims.
After the release, Lively's legal team demanded a gag order be issued against Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman.
"As Ms. Lively's counsel have attempted, repeatedly, to caution Mr. Freedman, federal litigation must be conducted in court and according to the relevant rules of professional conduct," court documents state. "His conduct threatens to, and will, materially prejudice both the Lively Case and the Wayfarer Case by tainting the jury pool, because his statements are deliberately aimed at undermining the 'character, credibility, [and] reputation' of numerous relevant parties."
On Jan. 23, Baldoni's lawyers filed a response, calling Lively's gag order attempt an "intimidation tactic" and "tactical gamesmanship."
A judge later ordered that both sides follow the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which limit speaking to the press.
Neither party will be permitted to make statements to the press that have a "substantial likelihood" of prejudicing a jury. However, the legal teams will be allowed to defend their clients in the media against publicity not created by either side.
Last week, Lively and Baldoni's legal team battled over a proposed protective order during a 90-minute hearing.
WATCH: BLAKE LIVELY'S HIDDEN MOTIVES REVEALED IN RESURFACED CLIP AS LEGAL WAR ESCALATES
Lively's lawyers argued for an "attorney's eyes only" designation for evidence in the case, seemingly pushing for text messages with "high-profile individuals" to be kept hidden from the public.
Freedman said it was offensive to suggest the team would disregard a protective order from the court. The lawyer pushed back against the "attorneys' eyes only" designation, stating his concern that Lively's legal team was shifting the burden to the defense.
Judge Lewis Liman noted that if something relevant to the case was discussed, the defense should be able to discuss and use it. However, the judge did not make a decision on which protective order would be put in place during Thursday's hearing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kirsten Dunst Would Star in ‘Minecraft 2' to Make a Pile of Cash: ‘Maybe I Can Just Make a Movie Where I Don't Lose Money?'
Kirsten Dunst is well known for teaming up with acclaimed directors, from Sofia Coppola ('The Virgin Suicides,' 'Marie Antoinette,' 'The Beguiled') to Lars von Trier ('Melancholia'), Jane Campion ('The Power of the Dog'), Alex Garland ('Civil War') and upcoming turns in new films by Derek Cianfrance ('Roofman') and Ruben Östlund ('The Entertainment System Is Down'). But sometimes, Dunst just wants to make money. Speaking to Town & Country magazine for a new cover story, the Oscar nominee made the surprise revelation that she would happily star in 'Minecraft 2.' Why? 'Because her kids loved the first one and because she'd like to make a pile of cash,' the publication summarized, with Dunst adding herself: 'Maybe I can just make a movie where I don't lose money?' More from Variety 'Minecraft Movie' Director Jared Hess, 'Shadowhunters' Star Katherine McNamara and David Oyelowo Among Honorees at 21st HollyShorts Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE) Box Office 2025 Takeaways: PG Movies Score, Superheroes Remain Shaky and Budgets Are Just Too High 'Roofman' Trailer: Channing Tatum Is a Criminal Living Inside a Toys 'R' Us in Real-Life Crime Story 'A Minecraft Movie,' headlined by Jack Black and Jason Momoa, dominated the spring box office with $955 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing movie of 2025 so far. Despite largely negative reviews, the movie energized gen-Z audiences and sparked viral social media trends that took over pop culture. It's the kind of movie that's the direct opposite of Dunst's recent auteur-driven output, not that she minds. She's got a few arthouse projects filming soon anyway, including the mermaid thriller 'Reptilia' with Mikey Madison and a new Coppola collaboration. 'Kirsten makes cool choices,' Coppola told Town & Country magazine. 'She's never hokey. She can be fully sincere and in touch with emotions without ever being embarrassing. I love working with her and I know she gets me, and I'm excited for her to be the age she is now…I feel like she's in her Gena Rowlands age and can do complex roles.' Of course Dunst has always balanced arthouse favorites and populist fare. She played Mary Jane opposite Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker in Sam Raimi's original 'Spider-Man' trilogy, telling Marie Claire last year that she'd be more than happy to return to the comic book movie genre 'because you get paid a lot of money, and I have two children, and I support my mother.' Next up for Dunst is 'Roofman,' the Cianfrance-directed crime comedy with Channing Tatum. The movie is world premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival next month before an Oct. 10 theatrical release from Paramount Pictures. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Austin Butler 'almost cracked' a rib after headbutt from costar in fight scene
One of Austin Butler's latest fight scenes may have gotten a little too real. In a conversation with Men's Health, the Oscar-nominated "Elvis" star, 34, revealed he "almost cracked" his rib shooting a sequence in his new movie "Caught Stealing." The moment came during a scene where Butler's character is beaten up by two Russians, and he encouraged one of the actors, Nikita Kukushkin, not to hold back to ensure it looked authentic. "When he was kicking me, he didn't want to kick me very hard," Butler explained. "He felt bad. I kept telling him, 'Just kick me. Kick me harder.' I'd watch it back, and I was like, 'It doesn't look real.' So he starts really laying into me and kicking me hard." Butler's costar soon took the scene in a new direction. "He had this idea of headbutting me in the side, like a little ram or something," Butler said. "He did it so hard it almost cracked my rib with his head. I was very impressed." Austin Butler recalls trippy Bad Bunny concert after taking edible: 'My brain is in two movies' While the "Dune: Part Two" actor noted he had an "amazing" stunt double on the film, he said there were "little" moments, such as a scene where he's thrown onto a table, where "you can't use a stunt double" because it would be too obvious given the camera angle. "For the most part, I'd just say, 'Yeah, let's go,'" Butler told Men's Health. "I'll just deal with the bruises later." While Butler said he only "almost" cracked a rib in this instance, in 2024, the actor told Variety he actually did break a rib working on his Apple TV+ series "Masters of the Air." "There was a fight scene and yeah, my rib cracked," he told Variety at the time. "It hurt and then I had to keep fighting. And it hurts for a long time after because every time you breathe, you feel your ribs. But it could have been worse." 'Dune: Part 2' sadistic siblings Austin Butler and Dave Bautista loved hating each other Butler stars in "Caught Stealing" opposite Zoë Kravitz as a man who "finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters" after his neighbor, played by Matt Smith, asks him to take care of his cat, per the studio's synopsis. The Darren Aronofsky movie continues a busy few years for the former Nickelodeon star, who earned an Oscar nomination in 2023 for his performance as Elvis Presley in "Elvis." In 2022, Butler told British GQ that after he finished shooting the musical biopic, he was hospitalized and bedridden for a week with a virus. "I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to (the) hospital," he said, adding, "My body just started shutting down the day after I finished 'Elvis.'" In his interview with Men's Health, Butler also revealed he experienced temporary blindness and lost his vision for several minutes while on a plane on his way to shoot the film "The Bikeriders." He said he blamed the incident on sleep deprivation.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Costner Fires Back at ‘Patently False' Allegation Over ‘Horizon 2' Rape Scene: ‘An Absolute Nightmare'
Kevin Costner has fired back at a lawsuit from a 'Horizon 2' stunt performer who claims that she was forced to perform an unscripted rape scene in violation of union protocols. In a motion to throw out the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Costner said the allegations are 'patently false' and 'deeply disappointing' and were designed to damage his reputation. More from Variety 'Horizon 2' Intimacy Coordinator Documented Rape Scene Complaint: 'Protocols Were Abandoned' Kevin Costner Sued by Stunt Performer Over Unscripted 'Horizon 2' Rape Scene Kevin Costner Premieres 'Horizon: Chapter 2' in Santa Barbara, But There's No News on Next Two Installments 'I can only assume that purpose was to use this sensationalistic language to embarrass and damage me and the 'Horizon' movies on an ongoing basis in order to gain a massive and unjustified payday,' Costner said in a court declaration. 'Equally as bad, having to read about and address allegations I know to be false involving the words 'rape' and 'assault' has been an absolute nightmare.' Devyn LaBella sued Costner in May for sexual harassment and for creating a hostile work environment. She alleged that Costner improvised a scene in which an actor straddled her and raked up her skirt in an aggressive manner. The intimacy coordinator on the film later documented lapses in protocols during the scene, including a lack of planning, communication and the lack of a closed set. In response, Costner stated that it was not a 'rape scene,' and that while rape was implied, there was no nudity or simulated sex. 'This was one artistic shot designed to imply what was going to happen off-screen, and purposely was not a 'simulated rape' as Devyn now falsely describes it,' he stated. Costner and his company are seeking to throw out the suit under California's anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect free speech on matters of public concern. Marty Singer, Costner's attorney, wrote in the motion that 'Horizon 2' — which has yet to be released — addresses 'the horrific struggles endured by women' in the American West in the post-Civil War era, 'including their extreme vulnerability to rape and other forms of violence,' and that therefore it qualifies for protection under the anti-SLAPP law. In an anti-SLAPP motion, the losing side has the right to appeal immediately, which will likely delay the case for a year or more regardless of the outcome at the trial court. The motion includes declaration from many crew members who maintain that the shot was not out of the ordinary. Roger Ivens, the other performer in the scene, stated that LaBella offered a 'false and sensationalist' description of the scene in her lawsuit, in which she characterized it as depicting a violent rape. 'It is not what happened,' Ivens stated. 'This was not in any way, shape, or form a simulated sex scene.' Wade Allen, the stunt coordinator who hired and supervised LaBella, also stated that the scene involved 'no intimacy, no nudity, no sexual conduct or sexual movement of any kind.' He also stated that LaBella gave him a thumbs up before and after the run-through, and seemed upbeat and enthusiastic about the experience. 'At no point that day did she evidence any distress or discomfort, or any concern about what she had been asked to do,' Allen stated. In response to the filing, LaBella's lawyer, James Vagnini, said that LaBella's professional demeanor does not undermine her allegations, and noted that her claims have been corroborated by the intimacy coordinator and other witnesses and text messages. 'This filing is continued evidence that one of Hollywood's most powerful men is trying to skirt accountability for reckless and harmful behavior,' Vagnini said. 'This baseless motion is nothing but a desperate delay tactic from a panicked legal team with no real defense. The only things damaging Kevin Costner's reputation are his own reckless, harmful behavior and the offensive narrative he's spreading to cover it up.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
