,Changing variable in an instantiated objects script is not updating

I have an object that I'm instantiating. Sometimes I want this object to be live and other times I don't. When I instantiate it I want to set it's live state right after. The problem is that when I try to change the public variable attached to the object's animationStateController script it doesn't change.

 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using UnityEngine;
 
 public class spawner : MonoBehaviour
 {
     public void SpawnUnit(GameObject unit){
         GameObject spawnedUnit = Instantiate(unit, transform.position, transform.rotation);
         spawnedUnit.GetComponent<animationStateController>().live = true;
     }
 } 

When the SpawnUnit function is called the live variable is not updated and the Debug.Log never happens. The unit spawns, and it has the script attached, and I can go into the scene tab during runtime and check the public variable for live and then expected behavior occurs, I just cant change it from the script for some reason.

 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using UnityEngine;
 
 public class animationStateController : MonoBehaviour
 {
     public bool live;
 
     void Start()
     {
         live = false;
     }
 
     void Update()
     {
   
         if(live){
             Debug.Log("ACTIVATED");
         }
     }
 }