Blake Lively is swept up in another alleged drama-filled feud following her It Ends With Us drama. This time, it’s with her co-star of six years Anna Kendrick.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively starred in A Simple Favor directed by Paul Feig in 2018. The movie is about two “friends” who get involved in deep drama and mystery after one of them goes missing. Amid the release, there have been mixed reports that the co-stars had beef with each other and took it out during press tours. Now, the sequel titled Another Simple Favor premiered at SXSW in Texas on March 7, 2025, and fans are noticing some similar patterns that happened during the first movie’s run.
Related: See All the New Justin Baldoni & Blake Lively’s Texts & Emails—Including the One That References Taylor Swift
Not to mention, Blake Lively is embroiled in a highly publicized legal battle with her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni after she accused him of sexual harassment.
What Happened to Anna Kendrick & Blake Lively?
So is there really beef between the two? Here’s the breakdown.
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June 2016: Anna Kendrick makes a comment about Taylor Swift
Anna Kendrick got candid about fame comparing herself to Taylor Swift while promoting Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. “I could play Madame Bovary and I’d still end up being dry and cynical,” Kendrick said. “There are times where someone will be like, ‘Do that thing! You know, do your thing!’ I get mildly annoyed by that. But on a greater scale, I’m lucky that’s [my] reputation; when I’m snarky with people, they know that’s just how I communicate.”
She continued, “I’d be terrible at being like Taylor Swift, the perfect Miss America version of interacting with fans and making sure they have a good experience,” she said. “I mean, I don’t want people to meet me and have it f–k up their day, but I’m glad I can say something weird to them and they know that’s just me.”
Around the time of filming A Simple Favor, In Touch Weekly reported that Blake Lively was angry at Kendrick for comments she made about her BFF.
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2021: A Simple Favor crew member alleges that Blake Lively & Anna Kendrick ‘Hated Each Other’
A source who worked on the set of A Simple Favor told The Celebrity Memoir Book Club that the two didn’t get along while filming the movie. “They hated each other. The studio even had to have a talk with them about making it look like they liked each other on press tours because it was starting to get obvious.
“Anna in particular was really competitive with Blake and was constantly asking to make sure she got more promotion than Blake and even made us photoshop her cleavage in the Simple Favor poster to be as big (or bigger) than Blake’s.”
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2018: Anna Kendrick & Blake Lively seemingly shade each other during A Simple Favor press tour
Image Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CinemaCon In some interviews where the two are paired up, fans have noticed the awkward chemistry between both Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. In an MTV News interview, Kendrick recalled meeting Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds. “I worked with her husband Ryan several years ago, so I met Blake a few times through Ryan on that film. And I thought she seemed nice. And little did I know!” Lively scoots her hand towards her, who snaps, “Don’t touch me.”
Lively also made the vague comment, “I’ve had people who I don’t necessarily… we’re not best buddies at all moments, but we do well together on screen.” Later on, Kendrick quips to Lively about voicing a Disney princess, “Oh, muffin, it’s so hard being you!”
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January 2025: Director Paul Feig responds to rumors A Simple Favor 2 will be canceled because of feud
Image Credit: Michael Buckner for Penske Media Paul Feig, who directed the original A Simple Favor and the sequel Another Simple Favor, denied rumors that the two stars were fighting.
In a now-deleted post, one X user alleged, “BREAKING: Amazon shelves A Simple Favor 2 indefinitely. Despite glowing test screenings, Blake Lively’s refusal to promote—amid her messy legal battle with Justin Baldoni—and growing tensions with Anna Kendrick have derailed the sequel. Anna is furious. Paul Feig is disappointed. Hollywood is in shock.”
“This is total BS. Sorry,” Feig responded. “The movie is finished and coming out soon. Don’t believe anything you read on social media these days.” But where did this rumor come from?
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February 14, 2025: A source denies any drama on the set of Another Simple Favor
A source told People, there was “really is no drama or rift” between Kendrick and Lively.
Another insider said, “There is no feud. The film is in the early stages of planning what press will look like, and Blake and Anna will be doing some things together.”
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March 7, 2025: Anna Kendrick & Blake Lively reveal what it’s like to work together
Image Credit: Michael Buckner for Penske Media During the red carpet premiere of Another Simple Favor at SXSW, Kendrick and Lively got candid about what it was like working together. “Anna, what does it mean to be working with Blake again?” a reporter from “Entertainment Tonight” asked Kendrick, who responded, “Oh, you know…”
Lively was asked the same question and said, “working with Kendrick again was “the best” and that she’s “so happy.”
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March 7, 2025: Anna Kendrick plays coy about It Ends With Us Drama
A Variety reporter asked if Kendrick felt like the film was impacted by”everything going around in the world,” seemingly referencing Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
“Why, what happened? I did ayahuasca and the last year of my life is just gone, but I heard the movie is amazing,” Kendrick said before blowing a kiss and walking away.
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March 8, 2025: Paul Feig addresses feud rumors again
YouTuber Melanie King posted on X, “Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick before they walk the red varpet at the sxsw Another Simple Favor premiere. I just reported on Blake being terrified to walk the carpet as Anna is pissed and never wants to work with her again 😂”
Paul quote tweeted, “Um … you’re wrong.”
