Amanda Seyfried Says Billy Evans Got ‘Aggressive’ at Dinner

Seyfried said she went to the home hoping to get to know Evans over Chinese food, despite having formed a poor impression after seeing footage directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim had filmed with him. She was also mindful that Holmes and Evans’ two children were there. As the conversation continued, Evans objected to Seyfried’s performance as Holmes in Hulu’s “The Dropout” and questioned remarks she had made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his death. “There was no reason for him to get that aggressive,” Seyfried told Rolling Stone.

Evans said in the documentary that he posted from Holmes’ verified X account while she was in prison. He had power of attorney, he explained, and often made decisions without consulting her because he believed he knew what she wanted. Seyfried objected to him speaking in Holmes’ name and said she felt disrespected. By the time they met, she said, her impression of Evans “only got worse.”

Before the dinner became contentious, Holmes called from prison while Seyfried was with the children and their dog. Seyfried and Fielder both spoke with her. Asked later whether the caller was really Holmes, Seyfried recalled answering: “It’s a documentary. Who else would it be?” Fielder said the moment unfolded in real time.

Seyfried won an Emmy for playing Holmes in “The Dropout.” For the documentary, she discussed Holmes’ mannerisms with Fielder and returned to the role for reenactments. Fielder said Seyfried learned about those scenes on camera and had no approval over the final cut. The film opened in theaters October 16. Filming began 34 days before Holmes went to prison and developed into a three-year project. Holmes, founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, received an 11-year, three-month federal sentence after a jury convicted her on four counts related to defrauding investors. Seyfried said she worried about saying the wrong thing or getting drawn into an argument, but was glad she took part.