Candace Owens is embracing the chaos—and her phone history—after allegedly learning she’s been subpoenaed by Blake Lively’s legal team in a high-profile legal battle involving It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
Owens, 36, addressed the situation with her signature flair on the July 1 episode of The Candace Owens Podcast, revealing she found out about the subpoena not from an official server, but from the press.
“I am, in a word, elated,” Owens said. “I am, in another word, honored. It feels like a graduation ceremony of sorts for me and all of my podcast listeners.”
The political commentator joked that she’s spent “many nights” poring over lawsuit documents with sticky notes and highlighters. But despite the apparent legal summons, Owens insisted she has not been formally served, saying:
“I am reading about my life live because I haven’t received anything.”
The Legal Backdrop
The controversy stems from a now-dismissed lawsuit filed by Lively, 37, in late 2024, accusing Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment and attempting to damage her reputation on set.
Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation in a $400 million claim, also dismissed last month.
TMZ reported that Lively’s legal team issued subpoenas to Owens, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, and YouTuber Andy Signore, requesting they turn over any communications with Baldoni’s camp. Owens had commented on the matter on social media but maintains she was never part of the litigation.
Owens: “Nothing to Hide”
Reacting to the subpoena rumors, Owens decided to unofficially subpoena herself by scrolling through and sharing her private messages on-air.
“I was like, ‘Let me go through my phone and see,’” Owens said. She then showed screenshots revealing she first texted Lively’s name in 2019—accompanied by two heart-eye emojis—and again in August 2024 when planning a podcast episode. “That doesn’t seem like a smear campaign,” she noted.
She explained that she only mentioned Lively as a trending topic and denied ever coordinating any defamatory content.
“We have nothing to do with your lawsuit. It’s our right to cover pop culture,” Owens said. “I am beholden to no one [and] I just say exactly what I am thinking at any moment of the day.”
Subpoena or Spectacle?
Whether Owens will actually be compelled to testify remains to be seen. But in true podcast fashion, she turned the moment into a performance—and a message to fans about transparency.
“I’m just so offended that someone would think I would accept payment to say something that I don’t believe in,” she said. “I have nothing to hide.”
With her own texts aired and her defiance intact, Owens may not have formally responded to the subpoena, but she certainly issued a response.
