Blake Lively's highly anticipated return to the red carpet at the South by Southwest (SXSW) premiere of Another Simple Favor got off to a rocky start on Friday, March 7, as a protestor holding a sign reading "Justice for Justin Baldoni. Blake lied" confronted the star.
The protestor, who wore a shirt emblazoned with the words "Blake lied," made it clear that Lively's ongoing legal battle with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni remains a hot topic.
A protester outside the premiere of 'Another Simple Favor' where Blake Lively made her first appearance without Ryan pic.twitter.com/2xJrdJ3Gbz
— AllAboutTRH (@AllAboutTRH) March 8, 2025
As Lively made her way down the red carpet, the protestor's presence only added to the tension surrounding the actress.
Meanwhile, Lively’s co-star Anna Kendrick's response to a question about working with Lively added fuel to the fire. When asked by reporters about her experience working with Blake again, Kendrick simply replied, "Oh, you know..." before walking away, leaving the question hanging awkwardly in the air.
Despite the uncomfortable moment, Lively continued to engage with fans and press, even appearing cheerful as she posed for photos with the film’s director Paul Feig and fellow cast members, including Michele Morrone.
Lively, dressed in a skintight nude and black dress layered with a pink plastic cover-up, eventually removed the cover-up, remarking aloud, "Okay, this is coming off now, that's better."
While on the red carpet, Lively managed to keep her cool, brushing off the protestor's presence and interacting warmly with the crowd. "You guys are so sweet not to shout, so civil," she told the audience. However, the atmosphere remained tense as she continued to navigate the growing controversy surrounding her legal disputes.
Blake Lively is currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Baldoni, who has accused her of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against him during the making of It Ends With Us.
In turn, Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, accusing them of defamation and extortion. Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane have denied the allegations, while Baldoni has steadfastly denied Lively’s claims.
Amid the ongoing drama, Lively's presence at the premiere of Another Simple Favor was heavily scrutinized. The film, a sequel to 2018's A Simple Favor, follows the characters of Stephanie (Kendrick) and Emily (Lively) on an adventure filled with murder and betrayal at an extravagant wedding in Italy.
However, with Lively’s legal woes casting a shadow over the event, it was difficult for the movie to take center stage.
Though the cast posed together for group photos, it was unclear if Lively and Kendrick had any private moments for photos or interaction.
This only fueled rumors of tension between the two, especially after Kendrick’s seemingly distant response. A source close to the situation clarified that the two have a professional working relationship but are not close friends, noting, "These movies are basically all Anna and Blake have in common."
As for Lively, she appeared to take everything in stride, even as she dealt with the public scrutiny and legal turmoil. Inside the Paramount Theater, she spoke with enthusiasm about her character in Another Simple Favor, calling it "probably my favorite character I’ve ever been fortunate enough to play."
With the ongoing legal drama swirling around her, it’s clear that Blake Lively's return to the red carpet has been anything but easy, and it’s likely that this will be a theme throughout her promotion of Another Simple Favor.
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