Blake Lively Expresses Gratitude to Fans for Their ‘Love Returned’ at SXSW
Blake Lively shared her appreciation for the fans who came out to support her and her latest film Another Simple Favor, even in the midst of her ongoing legal issues with former costar Justin Baldoni.
“Experiencing @asimplefavor’s opening night @sxsw felt like a rock concert,” the 37-year-old actress posted on Instagram on Tuesday, March 11, alongside a picture from the premiere at the SXSW festival in Austin. “Thank you to the best audience. Texas truly knows how to show up.”
Lively expressed that the very fact of making the A Simple Favor sequel was already a significant milestone for her.
“Creating this film was already a precious gift in every aspect,” she added. “To share it with all of you and feel the love reciprocated was an amazing feeling. Thank you for your warm welcome, Austin.”
In classic Lively style, she also provided Us with details about her red carpet outfit.
“And yes, it’s latex 👗😊,” she replied, referring to the ’50s-inspired mauve dress by Renée Massoomian that she wore for the event.
Another Simple Favor marks Lively’s first film appearance since her legal conflicts with former co-star and It Ends With Us director Baldoni. She filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and claims of a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni has denied these allegations and has filed a countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane. Both Lively and Reynolds, 48, have refuted Baldoni’s claims, and Sloane has sought to be dismissed from the lawsuit.
The legal battle has seen both Lively and Baldoni in court frequently, rejecting attempts at mediation. A trial is currently slated for March 9, 2026.
As of now, both Baldoni and Lively are awaiting the judge’s decision on Lively’s request for a more robust protective order. During a hearing in March, Lively’s lawyers claimed that Baldoni’s team “created improper disclosures of information.”
“We aim to stop the public dissemination of this information during the discovery phase. The rules are meant to reduce the burden on third parties,” Lively’s attorney stated in court. “It’s unnecessary for the many third parties to approach the court seeking protection. The third-party subpoena against the security company that protects Lively and Reynolds should be withdrawn.”
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman countered these assertions during his statement to the judge.
“These issues are governed by ‘for attorney’s eyes only’ restrictions,” Freedman remarked during the hearing. “This is a case where harming Ms. Lively is not an intention at all. She disclosed the sexual harassment accusations herself. My clients have been labeled guilty since this was filed. My client has the right to defend himself. We want to consent to the protective order and place the onus on the party seeking more protection to approach the court with transparency.”
Lively’s legal troubles have been a hot topic of discussion. At the SXSW premiere, Lively’s Another Simple Favor co-star Anna Kendrick was seemingly asked about how the ongoing news had affected the film. However, Kendrick maintained a low profile and sidestepped the question.
“Why? What happened? I did ayahuasca, and the past year has felt like a blur,” she joked in a conversation with Variety before promoting Another Simple Favor. “But I hear the movie is fantastic.”
