The internet loves a good "mean girl" narrative. It’s basically our collective favorite pastime to pick apart red carpet clips and look for a stray eye-roll or a stiff smile. Lately, everyone has been obsessed with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. With the release of Another Simple Favor in 2025 and Lively’s messy, headline-grabbing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, the spotlight on her relationship with Kendrick has become blinding.
People are convinced they hate each other. Like, genuinely.
But if you actually look at the history, the "feud" is way more complicated than just two actresses not getting along. It’s a mix of dry humor, high-stakes career moves, and a healthy dose of Hollywood marketing.
The Taylor Swift "Incident" and Where It Started
Rumors don’t just appear out of thin air. They usually start with a seed of truth that gets watered by a thousand TikTok theories. For Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, that seed was reportedly planted back in 2017 during the filming of the first A Simple Favor.
The story goes that Kendrick made a sarcastic comment about Taylor Swift. Specifically, people point back to a 2016 interview where Kendrick joked about being "terrible" at the "perfect Miss America" vibe Swift has with her fans. Considering Lively is basically the founding member of the Swift Squad, the tabloids claimed she took it personally.
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Was there an actual shouting match? No.
But the "vibes" were off. During the 2018 press tour, the two had an energy that was... intense. In one MTV interview, Kendrick joked about meeting Lively through Ryan Reynolds, saying, "I thought she seemed nice. And little did I know!" Then, when Lively reached out to touch her, Kendrick snapped, "Don't touch me."
Lively, for her part, was caught muttering "She's so stupid" while Kendrick talked about Harry Potter. If you have a friend who shares your exact brand of mean-spirited sarcasm, this looks like normal bonding. If you don't? It looks like a war zone.
Why the Sequel Changed Everything
Fast forward to 2024. The sequel, Another Simple Favor, starts filming in Italy. Suddenly, the context is different. Blake Lively isn't just the girl from Gossip Girl anymore; she's a mogul dealing with a PR nightmare from It Ends With Us.
The rumors shifted.
- The "Shelved" Movie Rumor: In early 2025, a tweet went viral claiming Amazon had scrapped the sequel because Kendrick was "furious" with Lively’s refusal to promote.
- The SXSW Cold Shoulder: At the 2025 SXSW premiere, a reporter asked Kendrick what it was like working with Lively again. Her response? A very dry, "Oh, you know."
- The Billing Battle: Insiders leaked stories about "equal billing," claiming both women were fighting over whose name appeared first on the poster.
Director Paul Feig has been the one man fire department trying to put this out. He’s called the rumors "total BS" multiple times. Honestly, you’ve gotta feel for the guy. He’s out here trying to promote a black comedy mystery while the internet is busy analyzing the distance between his lead actresses on a red carpet.
The Justin Baldoni Shadow
You can't talk about Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick right now without mentioning Justin Baldoni. Lively’s 2025 lawsuit against him for sexual harassment and "reputation destruction" changed how people see her.
Some fans started looking at Kendrick as the "relatable" one who was stuck in the middle. There was even a conspiracy theory that Kendrick took Baldoni’s side because she presented a Best Director award at the 2025 BAPTAs. It’s a stretch. A big one.
Kendrick herself has been pretty savvy. She told PEOPLE that reuniting with Lively was "lovely" and felt like "riding a bike." But she also admitted to being "upset" by the online negativity. Kendrick is a professional. She knows that if she says anything even slightly negative, it’ll be used as ammunition in a legal battle she has nothing to do with.
What’s Actually True?
Here’s the reality that’s less "clickbaity" but more accurate: They are coworkers.
They have completely different personalities. Lively is the polished, lifestyle-brand-owning East Coast mom. Kendrick is the self-deprecating, sarcastic, "don't-look-at-me" West Coast introvert. They have "weird chemistry," which is exactly why they were cast as Stephanie and Emily.
If they actually hated each other’s guts, they wouldn't have signed on for a sequel. Hollywood is small, but it’s not that small. They both have enough money to say no to a project if the vibes are truly toxic.
How to spot the difference between a real feud and a "Simple Favor" promo:
- The Sarcasm Check: Both actresses use "mean" humor. If they are insulting each other’s outfits or intelligence, it’s usually their bit.
- The Director’s Input: Paul Feig is notoriously loyal. If he’s defending them, there’s likely a functional working relationship there.
- The Promo Strategy: Sometimes "tension" sells tickets. It worked for the first movie, and the studio knows it works for the second.
If you’re looking to get the most out of the Another Simple Favor experience, stop looking for the "hidden" drama and just watch the movie for the chaotic mess it's supposed to be. The real story isn't a catfight; it's two high-powered women navigating a weird industry while the world waits for them to fail.
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To keep up with the actual facts of the Lively-Baldoni trial—which is where the real legal weight is—check the official court filings rather than TikTok "body language experts."