Paul Feig spoke out at SXSW after YouTuber Melanie King claimed Lively, 37, was afraid to walk the red carpet because Kendrick, 39, was upset with her.

SXSW: Paul Feig's sequel takes the formula of lies, deception, murder, and incest that fans came to expect, and threw mafia feuds into the mix for good measure. Two movies in, and nobody can accuse the “Simple Favor” franchise of not knowing what it wants to be.

It's like "Knives Out" crossed with a cartoon gloss on "White Lotus." But unlike the first film, this bad-moms noir both diverts and drags on.

Although it marks director Paul Feig's first sequel, 'Another Simple Favor' is anything but another simple attempt at cashing in on existing IP.

Related: Blake Lively is out for revenge (or is she?) in explosive Another Simple Favor trailer. Kendrick reflected on reteaming with Lively in an interview with PEOPLE last month

Justin Baldoni sues co-star Blake Lively. Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, who co-headlined the film adaptation of Colleen

The SXSW premiere of "Another Simple Favor" was a smashing success for Lively amid her legal drama with Justin Baldoni.

The film's director Paul Feig has had to dispel such rumors twice so far this year. In January he denied that the film was shelved "indefinitely," and last month he had to hop into his own IG comments to defend her from online trolls.

Director Paul Feig took to X to shut down speculation that Anna Kendrick is “pissed” at her Another Simple Favor co-star Blake Lively and “never wants to work with her again.” Those allegations came from influencer Melanie King,