Interviewing a major celebrity is the kind of lucky break that many entertainment journos dream of. Since a lot of things can go wrong, from feeling too anxious to remember certain questions, to not getting enough time with the star, it’s always fun to hear about a journalist’s behind-the-scenes experience. Now a reporter who chatted with Blake Lively and Parker Posey almost a decade ago is sharing their story.
Amid scuttlebutt about Woody Allen leaving filmmaking behind, he made Cafe Society, a romantic film that was released in 2016, and that counted Lively and Posey among its cast. While press is, of course, an expected obligation of a movie stars, and I can’t blame celebs for being bored of answering the same old questions, this particular interview is pretty wild…
So what happened when a journalist interviewed Cafe Society stars Blake Lively and Parker Posey?
In August 2024, journalist Kjersti Flaa posted a video on YouTube and wrote in the caption that when she spoke to Posey and Lively, it was “the most uncomfortable interview situation I have ever experienced.” Lively, in particular, appeared upset that Flaa asked her certain questions.
When the interview began, Flaa said “First of all, congratulations on your little bump” and Lively gestured toward her and said “congrats on your little bump.” This is only one shocking moment from the clip, and based on the online conversation surrounding this interview, I’m not the only one who thinks this is a strange way to respond. While Lively hasn’t been shy about her frustration that the paparazzi has tried to snap too many invasive photos of her during her four pregnancies, Flaa was clearly just trying to be polite and friendly.
Lively and Posey spent most of the time talking to each other and barely let Flaa get a word in, which is super awkward to watch. The Gossip Girl star also said reporters wouldn’t ask the male actors in Cafe Society about their clothing… which might be true but was a harsh thing to say.
While no reporter deserves to feel disrespected while at work, Flaa is far from an inexperienced journalist who has no idea what to say to famous people. A quick glance at her social media proves she has interviewed tons of celebs, including Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro, and she definitely knows what she’s doing. Watching this clip gives me major flashbacks of a phone interview I had with a magazine publisher during a grad school project. He got upset when I asked about funny memories of the interview subject, and said “no one would ever tell you that.” So I totally understand where Flaa is coming from. I can’t help but ask whether Lively and Posey had just come off a long day of interviews and were in bad moods… but, of course, that doesn’t make this okay.
and as Flaa justifiably wonders in her YouTube post, “Is it not ok to congratulate someone on their pregnancy or to ask another woman about costumes she is wearing in a film?”
Flaa asked fans to weigh in on the interview in the comment section of her YouTube video… and, wow, did they ever! While one person pointed out the contradiction inherent in Lively “trying to act like a good feminist while she’s in a woody allen movie,” others focused on the fact that the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, always seem happy to chat about how much they love their kids. It does seem odd that she would seem so irritated with this interviewer, when she and her husband have made their little ones the focus of so many other interviews.
As Buzzfeed mentioned, Lively hasn’t said anything about the negative press she’s getting lately. But fans have definitely shared their opinions on the situation on Reddit. In one thread in the SubReddit popculturechat, people called Lively “mean” and wondered why she and Posey avoided eye contact with Flaa. In a thread in the FauxMoi SubReddit, many called both actresses “rude” and were particularly shocked that Lively would say “congrats on your little bump” to Flaa. People were also alarmed that Lively claimed only women would be asked to talk about what they were wearing in a movie, since Cafe Society takes place in the 1930s, and so the stars wore some beautiful and memorable outfits. Lively is also famous for sharing magazine covers and other fun fashion moments on her Instagram, and is a noted Met Gala regular, which proves she’s a fan of dressing up.
Buzzfeed pointed out that the conversation around this interview comes at a time when people are upset with Lively for talking about flowers and fashion when promoting the Colleen Hoover adaptation It Ends With Us, instead of focusing on the domestic abuse theme of the story. While it would have likely typically made waves since Lively is such a megastar, people are paying even more attention now.
While Flaa said the interview “made me want to quit my job,” I’m glad she didn’t, because this interview serves as a helpful reminder that it’s totally possible to move from a tough professional moment. It’s also further proof that, while it might sound cliché, things really do stay on the Internet forever.