Blake Lively’s Another Simple Favor director Paul Feig defended Blake Lively from online critics
“Blake is an amazing collaborator, so when I read people’s misconceptions about how movies are made, it’s just frustrating for me,” he told Esquire
Justin Baldoni’s allegations against Lively in their ongoing legal battle over It Ends With Us include claims that she tried to hijack the movie from his control
Director Paul Feig gets annoyed by online commenters who criticize Blake Lively without understanding how moviemaking works.
The Another Simple Favor director, 62, told Esquire in an article published Wednesday, April 30, that his own experiences working with Lively, 37, on 2018’s A Simple Favor and its new sequel do not match the online narratives about the actress since her legal battle with Justin Baldoni over It Ends With Us began.
“Blake is an amazing collaborator, so when I read people’s misconceptions about how movies are made, it’s just frustrating for me,” he said. “Every star I’ve worked with works this way. The idea that a star just shows up and you go ‘Here’s the script’— please point me to one movie star who works that way.”
Much of Lively’s legal back-and-forth with Baldoni, 41 — which began when Lively sued the actor-director in December, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign — has concerned both actors’ behavior on the set of the film. In particular, one crew member on It Ends With Us recently told 60 Minutes Australia she felt Lively tried to “take power” from Baldoni on the project.
“So when the gang on the internet get [up in arms] about something, it’s just like, guys, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Feig added in the Esquire interview. “I love working with Blake. She’s just the best.”
Related: Blake Lively Talks ‘Highest Highs and Lowest Lows’ of Past Year in First TV Interview Since Justin Baldoni Lawsuit
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty
Blake Lively, Paul Feig and Anna Kendrick on April 27, 2025
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Feig also said in the piece that he feels “outrage is the most boring emotion humans have these days.”
“When it’s towards something meaningful, that’s great. But people get outraged at everything. It’s like, this is what you’re angry about?” he added. “There’s other things to be outraged about. Please, go and help make the world a better place.”
Since Lively filed her initial lawsuit, Baldoni countersued the actress and her husband Ryan Reynolds plus their publicist Leslie Sloane in January, alleging civil extortion, defamation and more, which Lively’s attorneys have called “meritless.”
Baldoni has claimed Lively tried to hijack It Ends With Us and take over every aspect of the process. Lively’s lawyers said in January that “this is not a ‘feud’ arising from ‘creative differences’ or a ‘he said/she said’ situation.”
Related: Henry Golding Explains Why Returning to Work with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor Felt Different
Feig previously defended Lively from internet criticisms when an Instagram user asked him on social media in February whether Another Simple Favor featured “Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut?”
“It’s my cut. There is no other cut,” he said at the time. “Blake has been nothing but supportive and a dream to work with. She is the best and an amazing collaborator and I’m her biggest fan. Just wanted to clear that up.”
Lively and Feig reunited with Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding to create a sequel to A Simple Favor; the new movie sees Lively’s character Emily sprung from prison after the events of the first film in order to invite Kendrick’s Stephanie to a lavish surprise wedding on the Italian island of Capri.
Another Simple Favor is now on Prime Video.
Read the original article on People
