Candace Owens had a random encounter with Justin Baldoni last week, sharing the encounter on social media and making a cheeky joke to Blake Lively.
“There was about a 1 in 100 million chance that I ran into Justin Baldoni at an airport in Iceland on Friday afternoon,” the 37-year-old political commentator captioned a selfie of her cuddling with the actor. ‘Just incredible.’
She added the hashtag #Cousins as a nod to her support of Baldoni, 42, amid his public feud with his It Ends with Us co-star Lively, 39.
“NO ONE messes with my cousin,” Owens added.
In another subtle jab at Lively, Owens posted the photo to her Instagram Stories, accompanied by the image featuring the Taylor Swift song My Tears Ricochet.
The song was used in It Ends With Us and Lively and Swift were previously close friends before their high-profile feud.
Candace Owens, 37, shared a selfie together with Justin Baldoni, 42, on her Instagram Monday when they crossed paths at an airport in Iceland
Owens added the hashtag #Cousins as a nod to her support of Baldoni amid his public feud with It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively, 39. Pictured in May in NYC
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Owens and Baldoni for further comment on the story.
One user was tickled by Owens’ trolling, writing, “Candace, that’s just messy… let Taylor play in the background.”
One person called the song selection “brilliant,” adding, “I need to know who suggested this particular T. Swift song… I can feel the joy emanating from both of you here – what a cool moment!”
Someone commented, “The song lol… Listen… No one gives Candace the comedic credit she deserves,” while another said, “THE SONG CHOICE LMAOOOOOOO.”
Others commented on the unlikely chance meeting between the political personality and actor-director, and their aforementioned nickname “cousins.”
One commenter asked, “WAIT, I need to know who recognized WHO first?! Did Justin hear Candace hit the kids with an ‘Okay guys’ and turn around like…wait a minute, I know that voice.”
Another person wrote: ‘We want Justin on the podcast!!!!! Cousins forever!’
The comments section of the post was filled with comments that touched on the irony of the post, specifically the song choice
One person commented: ‘It’s the timing of this chance encounter that makes it spectacular.
“After Candace finally has the opportunity to thank friends who poured so much into her after Charlie’s murder, she meets the stranger she poured so much into in his time of need, who is able to say thank you!”
One user told Owens, “Girl you got this all twisted,” while another said of Baldoni, “Look how genuinely happy he is.”
The chance meeting came less than a week after a federal judge ruled Wednesday that Lively will get just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from Baldoni after settling their fight over the production of their 2024 film.
Judge Lewis J. Liman explained in a written decision in Manhattan why Lively was not entitled to the full amount her lawyers said was spent after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, filed their own claims in response to her December 2024 lawsuit.
The judge acknowledged that Lively and Baldoni had “put up a fierce battle against each other in court” and denied Lively most of the legal fees she sought, citing the limits of a California law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliation suits.
The law, which was intended to protect sexual assault survivors from legal actions designed to intimidate and silence victims, could only be interpreted to make her reimbursed for what she paid attorneys to defend against defamation claims instead of all of the claims Baldoni filed against her, Liman wrote.
So the judge ruled that Lively is entitled to $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs.
The chance meeting came less than a week after a federal judge ruled that Lively will get just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from Baldoni after settling their fight over the production of their 2024 film. Seen vividly in NYC on May 19th
Lawyers on both sides claimed victory for their clients.
Attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, called the ruling an “important victory for my clients,” which will leave Lively with less than 5% of what she sought in legal fees.
He said in a statement that it also “sends a clear message that no matter how powerful you are, the courtroom is not a place to abuse the law for your own personal gain.”
Attorneys Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, who represent Lively, said in a statement that Liman’s decision was “historic” because it was the first time money had been awarded under California law. They said it showed that “there are real consequences when retaliation lawsuits are filed.”
The attorneys added that Lively had “pulled back the curtain on other victims and set the precedent for others to come forward and expose similar behavior.”
In her lawsuit, Lively alleged she was the victim of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in the dark romantic drama, denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. He claimed that the complaints about his behavior were fabricated by Lively as part of an attempt to take creative control of the film.
Weeks after Lively filed suit, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed countersuit claims against Lively and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, for civil racketeering, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, fair dealing and economic interference.
Baldoni imagined himself leaving a New York courthouse last May
In June 2025, Liman dismissed the countersuit filed by Baldoni and Wayfarer and nearly a year later, Liman dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claims on the grounds that she was an independent contractor rather than an employee when she worked on the film.
In early May, two weeks before a scheduled trial, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, saying in a joint statement that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard” and that they “remain firmly committed to workplaces that are free of improprieties and unproductive environments.”
It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestselling novel about a relationship that turns into domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations despite criticism that it glorified abuse. Lively and Baldoni’s awkward arguments distracted from the film and overshadowed its message and success.
Lively said in her lawsuit that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance during filming, violated physical boundaries while filming a love scene and insisted on nudity — against Lively’s wishes — during a scene where her character was in labor.
Baldoni denied doing anything outside the normal creative process of making a film.
