Blake Lively delivers first public speech since legal battle with Justin Baldoni
Following the premiere of Another Simple Favour at the South by Southwest Festival, the latest Blake Lively feature, which also stars Anna Kendrick, the former has spoken in public for the first time since the commencement of a heated legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
Currently, Lively is engaged in a lawsuit in which she has alleged that Baldoni, the It Ends With Us director, sexually harassed her on the set of the film and also launched a smear campaign against her on social media.
Another Simple Favour is a murder mystery directed by Paul Feig, who specifically envisioned Lively as a part of this new project.
Lively took to the stage and announced her admiration for the film: “I love this character so much. It’s probably my favourite character I’ve ever been fortunate enough to play… So when Paul asked us to come back, I was so excited.”
“She’s the most amazing collaborator, so smart. She and Anna are just two of the smartest actors I’ve ever worked with,” Feig told Variety, reciprocating the actor’s respect for him.
Adding, “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. … It’s the only way to work.”
Although Lively skipped the red carpet interviews, and the Baldoni controversy wasn’t mentioned at the premiere, one protestor was spotted in front of the venue wearing a “Blake Lied” T-shirt and holding up a sign that read “Justice for Justin Baldoni”.
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