Hallmark's Katie Cassidy Never Expected To End Up With Someone Like Stephen Huszar

When Hallmark star Katie Cassidy divorced her husband Matthew Rodgers, in 2020, she wasn't exactly focused on the prospect of falling madly in love again, but clearly life had other plans. During a 2022 interview with People, the "Arrow" star spoke candidly about the devastating split and what an isolating experience it was amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, Cassidy even had to give herself a little pep talk: "I was like, 'OK, got to pick yourself up by your bootstraps sometimes." The year prior, the actor proudly informed Page Six that the aftermath of her divorce taught her some valuable lessons. "I was forced to learn how to love myself and it's the best thing I've ever done," Cassidy confessed. Likewise, the Hallmark star admitted to People that she found dating rather awkward — especially while the pandemic was raging — and that she'd decided to just let it be for a while. 

As Cassidy reasoned, "I think if I'm supposed to meet someone, I'll meet them naturally, organically." Little did the "Gossip Girl" alum know just how right she was. Not long after that interview took place, Cassidy worked on her first Hallmark film, "A Royal Christmas Crush," and fell head over heels for her co-star, Stephen Huszar. However, he was the last person she expected to fall for. "I've never really thought I would date another actor," Cassidy acknowledged to Us Weekly after they went public. "I was open, but I was still a little hesitant but he and I, after working together towards the end, we became really good friends and then we were professional but once we were done, sparks happened."

Katie Cassidy first realized she was infatuated with Stephen Huszar while they were filming a scene for "A Royal Christmas Crush," which took place in a barn with just the two of them. In fact, the "Flash" star disclosed to Us Weekly in 2024 that she almost lost her composure in front of the cameras that day. "There's this one scene in the barn where I literally am looking at him, and that was the moment for me. I'm not kidding you. I'm, like, leaning on the table and he's saying his lines and I just like, I think I like almost fell over," she shared. Little did Cassidy know, at that very moment, her co-star was falling for her too. "It was actually exactly the same scene," Huszar confirmed in a joint 2023 chat with Entertainment Tonight. "So that was good. Our intuitions were both firing at the same time."

The co-stars properly connected when they went on an unofficial lunch date, with Cassidy revealing that Huszar's apparent love of crystals is what sealed their bond. As the Hallmark star recalled, "I noticed his crystals. I love crystals. And we started bonding over spirituality and I started to get to know the real Stephen." She sweetly added, "I was very smitten." The celebrity couple kept their relationship under wraps until they were finished filming the movie in an effort to keep things professional, but once "A Royal Christmas Crush" wrapped, Cassidy took to Instagram to let the whole world know she was in love.