Joey King says working with ex Jacob Elordi 'wasn't' easy, but it was necessary for her 'Kissing Booth 2' character: 'Elle Evans needs her Noah Flynn'

• Joey King opened up about working with ex-boyfriend Jacob Elordi for the 2020 sequel "The Kissing Booth 2," playing love interests Elle Evans and Noah Flynn.
• The actress said that it "wasn't" easy, adding: "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."
• "Elle Evans needs her Noah Flynn, and whatever that means for my personal life, I'll do anything to make sure the story of my character who I care about so much is complete," she told the publication.

"The Kissing Booth 2" star Joey King says working with ex-boyfriend Jacob Elordi on the Netflix rom-com "wasn't easy," but she was willing to put aside her personal life for the sake of her character.

"No one's thinking to themselves, 'That was easy,' because it wasn't," King, who stars as Elle Evans in the sequel to the hit 2018 film "The Kissing Booth," said during a cover story for Cosmopolitan.

The 21-year-old actress continued: "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."

King also said that she wouldn't let her off-screen relationships affect that of her character and Elordi's (Noah Flynn).

"Elle Evans needs her Noah Flynn, and whatever that means for my personal life, I'll do anything to make sure the story of my character who I care about so much is complete," she told the publication.

King costarred in "The Kissing Booth 2" (released in July 2020) with Elordi, her on-screen love interest who she previously dated. They met in 2017 while filming the first movie and it's unclear when King and Elordi's real-life relationship began, but they coupled up for red carpets throughout 2018.

They also shared photos with each other on social media, many of which have been deleted since they broke up.

In a 2019 interview with Refinery29, King opened up about their split and the reaction from fans.

"All you can really do at that point is shut your phone off and crawl into your sister's bed and watch 'Friends' with her, because when you're going through something and the world wants to go through it with you or [wants] to get every piece of detail from you about it, it's really difficult," she said. "Some of these things are just meant for you."

The actress added: "I don't fault it, but it was a little difficult going through some of that stuff a couple months ago. Now I feel good, and they've calmed down a little, which is nice."

King also coyly opened up about working with her ex during a podcast called "Mood With Lauren Elizabeth."

"It was a wild experience, but honestly, it was a really beautiful time because I learned a lot about myself and I grew as an actor, I grew as a person," she said.

King added: "It's a great movie. I personally am a fan of how it resonated with the world and it resonated with me. So going back, and doing that, and making the sacrifice, obviously, what everyone is thinking about. I'm not outwardly addressing, but what I'm kinda on the sly addressing, making those sacrifices was totally worth it."

In 2019, King appeared to be dating "The Act" producer Steven Piet. More recently, fans have wondered if she's in a relationship with "The Kissing Booth 2" costar Taylor Zakhar Perez (Marco), but the actor told Entertainment Tonight that they're just close friends.

Meanwhile, Elordi has been linked to "Euphoria" costar Zendaya.

King, Elordi, and Zakhar Perez will reunite for a third "Kissing Booth" movie, which was announced two days after the recent sequel. The second and third movies were secretly filmed back to back, and the next installment is scheduled for release sometime in 2021.

• Read more:
• 'The Kissing Booth 2' star Jacob Elordi explains why he changed his fitness routine: 'It was so much working out and I hated every second of it'
• 'The Kissing Booth 2' star Joel Courtney breaks down all of his favorite scenes from the sequel
• 'The Kissing Booth 2' star Joel Courtney teases his character's growth and the message he hopes fans take away from the sequel