Joey King admits it wasn't easy filming 'The Kissing Booth 2' with her ex
Joey King is opening up about filming "The Kissing Booth 2" with her ex-boyfriend, and it wasn't as romantic as it looked on screen.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan on Tuesday, King, who is featured on the September cover, explains that it wasn't always easy playing Elle Evans in the "The Kissing Booth" franchise, as her real-life ex Jacob Elordi returns as Elle's boyfriend, Noah Flynn in the sequel, which streamed on Netflix on July 23.
Surprise!: Netflix's 'The Kissing Booth 3' has already been filmed and is arriving in 2021
"No one’s thinking to themselves, 'that was easy,' because it wasn’t. I’m sure people will analyze every movement and every detail. And you know what? Let them. But at the end of the day, I was just thrilled to be Elle Evans again," she told the magazine.
According to Glamour, the two first started dating back in 2017, but split the following year.
So the big question: Is King with anyone now? She won't say, though Cosmopolitan says she "seems to be seeing someone else now."
Regardless of her personal life, the actress says that "Elle Evans needs her Noah Flynn."
"I’ll do anything to make sure the story of my character who I care about so much is complete," King adds.
The 21-year old actress, who was nominated for an Emmy for her role in Hulu's "The Act" in 2019, also compared our 2020's pandemic-era reality to "going into World War III."
"Your brain goes to the worst-case scenario. Like, What if every single person in the universe dies?” she reflects.
While King is making sure to take care of herself during these tricky times, she's also been checking her white privilege amid the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, calling herself a "guest" during a fight for racial injustice.
"This is not an issue we have to make about ourselves. We don’t get to make it about ourselves," she explains, referring to herself and other white allies.
George Floyd death:: BTS, Spike Lee, Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Lopez and more stars take action
King tells Cosmopolitan that she's been contributing to the Black Lives Matter movement by researching organizations and donating to fundraisers, but admits she has trouble balancing her need to prioritize her mental health and accompanying feelings of selfishness during a time when others are struggling.
“I preach a lot about being proactive about your mental health and not feeling selfish for feeling depressed or upset, but then when I sink into these weird moods, I immediately feel super selfish, which makes me feel worse," she explains.
"When it comes to taking care of yourself, there is a certain level of selfishness you have to have, but it’s hard. I haven’t found that balance yet. Because I in no way, shape, or form want to make any conversation that I start right now about me.”
More: Joey King on how she 'completely transformed' to become Gypsy Rose Blanchard in 'The Act'
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Kissing Booth 2': Joey King talks filming with ex, Black Lives Matter
