It's Complicated

THE REAL COMPLICATIONS: THE JUICIEST OFF‑SCREEN DRAMA BEHIND NANCY MEYERS’ COZIEST ROM‑COM

Fans come for the croissants and the Santa Barbara fantasy, but It’s Complicated had its own mess behind the beautiful backsplash. From an MPAA meltdown over weed to Nancy Meyers’ legendary perfectionism and a quietly chaotic press junket moment, the off‑screen saga is almost as tangled as Meryl and Alec’s on‑screen affair.

On‑Set Drama & Control Freak Energy

Nancy “One More Take” Meyers

Alec Baldwin has openly said that working with Nancy Meyers means strapping in for many takes — and not in a “couple extra” way. Asked about filming It’s Complicated, he joked that “Nancy likes to do a lot of takes. And by that, I mean A LOT of takes,” and that he’d been told only Warren Beatty does more . Translation: if you see Meryl Streep crack that perfect half‑laugh, half‑cringe, just remember she probably did it 20+ times.

The Kitchen That Ate Hollywood

Meyers’ kitchen obsession on It’s Complicated was so intense that the set is now basically a design religion. Interior bloggers and designers endlessly dissect the “Belgian‑inspired” cream‑and‑taupe kitchen, noting how every bowl, basket and barstool was placed with surgical precision . One production designer interview and fan breakdowns underline that Meyers literally treats the house — especially the kitchen — as another character, obsessively tweaking until it looked like the world’s most expensive sourdough starter lived there permanently ^[1][7].

The Bakery That Wasn’t Really Santa Barbara

Your cozy SB bakery dreams? Slightly fake. An Instagram behind‑the‑scenes reveal explains that Jane’s bakery was actually a set built inside the Picnic House in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, dressed to look like West Coast carb heaven ^[2]. The cast reportedly spent so long filming the late‑night croissant sequence that crew members were being tortured by the smell of fresh pastry for days.

Cast Feuds & Press‑Tour Awkwardness

Alec vs. Queen Meryl (…Sort Of?)

There’s no confirmed on‑set feud, but a Reddit thread gleefully circulates a press‑conference clip where Alec Baldwin appears to rudely cut off “Queen Meryl” mid‑answer during It’s Complicated promo, with fans calling it prime “Just in case you don’t hate Alec Baldwin enough yet” energy . Whether it was genuine rudeness or just chaotic timing is unconfirmed — but the internet has chosen a side.

But Also: “Dream Come True” Vibes

Publicly, Baldwin has been nothing but gushy about his co‑star. In 2019 he shared a throwback still from the film on Instagram, calling working with Meryl Streep “a dream come true” and reminiscing fondly about their time on set . So if there was tension, everyone involved has been extremely adult (and very Meyers‑core) about it.

Lake Bell, Barely Dressed and Very Aware

In an Entertainment Weekly/PeopleTV interview, Lake Bell laughs about how surreal it was to share the screen with “film legends” Meryl Streep and Steve Martin — while spending much of the movie as the scantily clad younger wife Agnes ^[6]. No scandal there, just a lot of underwear and imposter syndrome.

Scandals & Controversies: The R‑Rating Freak‑Out

When Croissants Got a Higher Rating Than Chainsaws

The biggest real‑world scandal around It’s Complicated wasn’t the adultery plot — it was the pot. The MPAA slapped the film with an R rating primarily because of the scene where Meryl Streep and Steve Martin’s characters smoke marijuana and have, gasp, a lovely time .

The Seattle Times reported that:

• The studio appealed, trying to get a PG‑13, and lost.
• The ratings board worried kids would think smoking weed looks “fun” because the scene is “uproariously funny” and shows no negative consequences ^[3].

Culture War in a Croissant Shop

The decision sparked a minor culture war:

• NORML head Allen St. Pierre called the rating “an absurd ruling rooted in old cultural thinking” ^[3].
• The Parents Television Council praised the MPAA, insisting it was a “rare instance” of the board getting it right because pot is still illegal and “too often, material gets rated lower than it should be” ^[3].
• Scholars and media commentators mocked the “hilarity and inconsistency” of rating a middle‑aged bakery rom‑com like a slasher film ^[3].

So yes, It’s Complicated was briefly ground zero for America’s panic over middle‑aged people getting high and making pastry.

Leaks, Rumors & What‑If Casting

Was John Krasinski Almost a Gay Assistant?

Film podcast This Had Oscar Buzz dives into It’s Complicated and mentions that John Krasinski’s character was “at one point a gay assistant” in earlier conceptions of the project . This isn’t confirmed by the filmmakers, so mark it firmly as industry rumor/speculation — but it suggests the role morphed from sassy assistant to future son‑in‑law Harley somewhere along the way.

The Almost‑Jakes

While the studio never splashed it on billboards, later trivia reporting claims that heavyweights like Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas, and Tom Hanks were considered for Jake before Alec Baldwin landed the gig . That would’ve been a very different midlife crisis.

Wild Trivia & Soft Gossip

Meryl Is Older Than Alec – and That Was A Thing

Alec Baldwin recalls that when Nancy Meyers asked him to play Meryl’s ex, one of his first reactions was that Streep is nine years older than him, and he wasn’t sure he was “the right person” for the part. Meyers shot that down with a reality check: male stars are constantly paired with far younger women and no one blinks, so why should this be any different? He eventually agreed she was right ^[1]. It’s low‑key feminist shade baked into casting.

Hans Zimmer, Secret Softie

Hans Zimmer scored It’s Complicated and has spoken about how working with Nancy Meyers on her films (including this one) has literally moved her to tears during music sessions — the director reportedly cried hearing certain cues as she watched scenes cut together . The man who scores Batman and gladiators is also behind your favorite croissant‑in‑the‑kitchen cue.

Rita Wilson, Queen of the Cozy Cameo

Rita Wilson pops up as Trisha, part of Meyers’ unofficial repertory company. While there’s no scandal attached, pop‑culture pieces and TikTok edits often shout out how she quietly threads through rom‑com history: Runaway Bride, It’s Complicated, and beyond . She’s basically Hollywood’s fairy godmother of warm, slightly chaotic women.

At the end of the day, It’s Complicated didn’t produce the nuclear‑level scandals some rom‑coms have — no lawsuits, no affairs exposed, no deleted scenes that broke the internet. But between Nancy Meyers’ obsessive control, the MPAA’s pearl‑clutching over a joint, speculative rewrites of John Krasinski’s role, and that eternally meme‑able Alec/Baldwin‑vs‑Meryl press moment, there’s just enough real‑world mess to justify the title.