Chance Encounter
Justin Baldoni and conservative commentator Candace Owens met by chance at an airport in Iceland, where the two posed for a selfie that Owens shared on social media. In her post, Owens wrote that there was "an approximate 1 in 100 million chance" of the encounter happening on a Friday afternoon, adding the caption "Just incredible" and the hashtag "#Cousins."
The meeting comes more than a year after Owens was drawn into the legal dispute between Baldoni and actress Blake Lively, a case that ended with a joint settlement in May. Owens, 37, was a vocal supporter of Baldoni, 42, during the litigation, and she has said she was "name-checked" in filings related to the case.
The Legal Battle
The legal fight between Baldoni and Lively began in December 2024, when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of their film "It Ends With Us." Baldoni denied all accusations and countersued Lively for defamation and extortion, but both counterclaims were dismissed by a federal judge. Many of Lively's claims, including the sexual harassment allegations, were also dismissed.
The two reached a joint settlement in May, bringing the litigation to a close.
Owens' Role in the Dispute
Owens discussed the lawsuit extensively on her podcast, including a February 2025 episode in which she criticized Lively for allegedly staging a "tactical ambush" against Baldoni. Around that time, Owens was named in a protective order filing submitted by Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who asked to maintain the privacy of their personal information amid the lawsuit.
The order claimed that "certain online content creators" who "frequently parrot [Baldoni's production company and its associates] Wayfarer Parties' line" were acting as a "manufactured echo chamber" for Baldoni. It also cited one of Owens' posts on X commenting on the legal drama.
Owens has said she never spoke to Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, and never spoke to Baldoni himself, and that she did not understand why she was name-checked in the filing. She also received a subpoena at one point in the case. Blake Lively's team believed Owens had ties to Freedman, according to a report.
Aftermath
Owens' selfie with Baldoni appears to be a casual, unplanned meeting. In her post, she did not mention the legal battle or her past commentary on it, instead focusing on the improbability of the airport run-in. Baldoni has not publicly commented on the encounter.