Reporter Kjersti Flaa says Blake Lively's "It Ends With Us" drama wasn't on her radar, or at least it wasn't when she uploaded their cringe interview -- instead, she insists it's pure coincidence.
We spoke with Kjersti in the aftermath of her video blowing up ... and she shared further insight into the tense convo, and made it clear she had no ulterior motive when posting the interview online.
Most viewers of the viral clip assumed Kjersti posted the 8 year old exchange in response to Blake's "It Ends With Us" drama with costar and director Justin Baldoni ... but she says it was more innocent than that.
The journalist tells us she decided to post the unpleasant chat after a friend -- who's also a journalist -- faced a similar faceoff with a different celeb. Kjersti notes these awkward situations happen more often than you'd think and thought by posting the interview she could prevent it from happening in the future.
The super uncomfortable 2016 sit-down with Blake and Parker Posey -- during the "Cafe Society" media tour -- shows Blake icing out Kjersti for making an innocuous congratulatory comment about her baby bump.
Kjersti says she knows nothing personally about the Blake-Justin beef, but considering how the actress acted around her ... she says it might indicate Blake is difficult to work with -- on a set, or in an interview.
To this day she still doesn't understand why the pregnancy comment miffed Blake ... and added, "I find it a little bit offensive she said it back to me. It was strange behavior to me."
While Kjersti is open to getting an apology from Blake, she's not holding her breath for one. Nearly a decade's passed.
Kjersti did interview Blake again a couple years after their disastrous chat, and it went off without a hitch, which likely stems from the fact BL didn't remember her.