Anna Kendrick quips back at reporter who asks about 'everything going on' amid Blake Lively 'It Ends With Us' drama

By Shannon Cook

The American actress silenced a reporter's question about 'everything going on' amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' drama and legal battle.

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At the SXSW premiere for her new film Another Simple Favor, a reporter asked the actress about how the release of the movie is being impacted by "everything going on in the world".

The Twilight and Pitch Perfect star mocked the question, quipping back: "Why, what happened? I did ayahuasca and the last year of my life is just gone, but I've heard the movie is amazing."

The star quickly walks away following her witty response, blowing a sarcastic kiss at the reporter.

It is thought that the reporter's question was referencing Blake Lively's 'It Ends With Us' drama and legal battle with Justin Baldoni, which dominated headlines earlier this year.

Blake Lively is co-starring in black comedy mystery film Another Simple Favor - the sequel to A Simple Favor - with Anna Kendrick.

Read more: Justin Baldoni sues Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds in next It Ends With Us fight

Read more: Blake Lively sues Justin Baldoni alleging harassment and smear campaign

Blake Lively sued her 'It Ends With Us' co-star Justin Baldoni over allegations of sexual harassment in December last year.

Lively claimed Baldoni fostered a toxic workplace environment and showed her nude videos and pictures of other women as he told her of his alleged porn addiction, according to a report by TMZ.

Lively, who is married to Ryan Reynolds, starred alongside Baldoni in the on-screen adaptation of Coleen Hoover’s 'It Ends With Us' in August 2024.

The Gossip Girl actress alleges Baldoni set out to “destroy” her reputation following their tense time on set together.

Baloni’s lawyer strongly denied these claims.

Meanwhile, actor-director Baldoni claimed in January the couple wanted to ‘destroy’ his reputation with allegations of sexual harassment and purposely sabotaged the production and marketing of the film 'It Ends With Us', which he directed and starred in alongside Blake Lively.

Baldoni’s lawsuit, filed earlier this year, is the most recent step in a bitter legal battle surrounding the film.

He is allegedly seeking 400 million US dollars (£327 million) for damages including lost future income.

The lawsuit - filed by Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios - comes the same day that Baldoni sued the New York Times for libel, alleging the paper worked with Lively to smear him.

Baldoni also alleges that Lively and Reynolds manipulated the media to smear Baldoni and others that worked on the film with false allegations of sexual harassment.

The lawsuit, which also names publicist Leslie Sloane as a defendant, came about two weeks after Lively sued Baldoni and several others tied to the film, alleging harassment and a co-ordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.

Baldoni's complaint, filed in federal court in New York, says the plaintiffs did not want to file the suit, but that Lively "has unequivocally left them with no choice."

"Not only to set the record straight in response to Lively's accusations, but also to put the spotlight on the parts of Hollywood that they have dedicated their careers to being the antithesis of".

An email seeking comment from Ms Sloane, whose PR company represents both Lively and Reynolds, was not immediately answered.

The two actors are also both represented by agency WME, which dropped Baldoni as a client after Lively filed her lawsuit and the Times published its story on the fight surrounding the film.

Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, the studio and its representatives, branded the accusations “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”

Lively is attempting to “fix her negative reputation”, the lawyer claims.

He accused her of "threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release.”

He added: “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”

Lively has claimed Baldoni made inappropriate inquiries about her weight, comments about her dead father and sexual remarks about the cast and crew.

Alongside her husband Ryan Reynolds, crisis talks were instigated to put a stop to the behaviour, the lawsuit states.

Lively also requested: "No more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL [Blake Lively] outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project," per the filings.

She went on to say that Baldoni's team engaged in a "social manipulation" campaign to ruin her reputation.

The lawsuit includes text messages from the director's publicist to the studio which allegedly say Baldoni, "wants to feel like [Lively] can be buried, and 'We can't write we will destroy her".

Back in early August, the Hollywood Reporter confirmed that a rift between Lively, who also served as a producer on the film, and Baldoni was genuine.

The surprise hit film based on the novel by Colleen Hoover has made major waves in Hollywood and led to discussions of the treatment of female actors both on set and in the media.