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Amazon Prime Video recently dropped the trailer for Another Simple Favor, the sequel to the 2018 hit A Simple Favor, starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. However, the studio made an unusual move by disabling the comment section on YouTube under the trailer, which many believe was done to protect Lively from potential backlash.
Lively, who reprises her role as Emily Nelson, a PR director for a fashion company, has been facing significant scrutiny online following her ongoing legal battle with her It Ends With Us co-star, Justin Baldoni. The legal drama erupted after Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, inappropriate behavior on set, and starting a smear campaign against her. Baldoni, in turn, filed a lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion, claiming the couple used their connection to Taylor Swift to gain creative control over the movie’s production.
Baldoni’s legal team released footage from the set and text exchanges to undermine Lively’s accusations, attempting to portray her in a negative light. However, Lively has remained mostly indifferent to the situation and continues to focus on promoting her projects, including the sequel to A Simple Favor.
In Another Simple Favor, Lively’s character, Emily, returns alongside Kendrick’s character, Stephanie Smothers, a single mom and vlogger. The movie also features Henry Golding, Taylor Ortega, and Michele Morrone. The film is set to release on Prime Video on May 1.
Given the legal battles and public controversies surrounding Lively, it appears the studio made the decision to turn off the comments as a protective measure, ensuring the focus remains on the movie itself and not the ongoing drama.