The political world was basically set on fire in September 2025 when news broke that Charlie Kirk, the face of Turning Point USA, had been assassinated during an event in Utah. It was one of those moments that stopped everyone's scroll. But as the shock wore off, the focus shifted toward one of his earliest and most famous allies. People started asking: what is going on with the Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk friendship?
Once, they were the "it" duo of the New Right. They traveled on tour buses, stood on stages together, and basically built the modern conservative youth movement from the ground up. Honestly, without Kirk taking a chance on a then-unknown YouTuber named "Red Pill Black" back in 2017, the Candace Owens we know today might not exist. But by the time Kirk was laid to rest, the relationship had spiraled into something unrecognizable—a mix of grief, wild conspiracy theories, and a very public feud with Kirk’s widow, Erika.
The Rise of the Power Duo
It's easy to forget how close they actually were.
Back in 2017, Charlie Kirk hired Candace as the Director of Urban Engagement for Turning Point USA. They weren't just colleagues; they were genuine friends. Candace has described him as being "like a brother" to her. They were kids, relatively speaking, trying to navigate a media landscape that hated them.
They shared private jokes, rapped along to Kanye West songs in the back of SUVs before big speeches, and supported each other through their respective weddings. When Candace left TPUSA in 2019 following the backlash over her comments regarding Hitler in Poland, many assumed there was a rift. There wasn't. At least, not then. They maintained what seemed like a solid, if more distant, alliance as she moved to The Daily Wire and he stayed at the helm of his ever-growing empire.
Where the Friendship Fractured
The real tension didn't start with a big argument. It started with a divergence in worldviews that finally hit a breaking point in 2024 and 2025.
While Kirk remained firmly within the mainstream MAGA ecosystem, Candace began drifting into what many called "the fringe." Her exit from The Daily Wire in early 2024 was messy. She was increasingly critical of Israel, and her rhetoric began to lean into theories that even Kirk—who wasn't exactly known for being shy about controversy—found difficult to defend.
Then came the tragedy.
After Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, the Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk friendship became the center of a bizarre and tragic media circus. Instead of a standard tribute, Candace used her massive platform to suggest that Charlie’s death wasn't just a random act by a lone gunman (Tyler Robinson, who was arrested and charged).
She started "investigating."
She claimed on her podcast that Kirk was betrayed by those closest to him. She suggested a "multinational conspiracy" involving everyone from the Israeli government to French officials. She even claimed that Kirk had once texted her saying he was a "time traveler" being hunted by shadowy forces. It was a lot.
The Feud with Erika Kirk
The most painful part of this story isn't the politics; it’s the human element.
Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, was forced to grieve in the middle of Candace’s "investigation." While Candace was posting about "secret tunnels" and lack of blood in crime scene photos, Erika was trying to keep Turning Point USA together.
The breaking point happened in December 2025. During a CBS town hall, Bari Weiss asked Erika what she would say to Candace Owens.
Her response was just one word: "Stop."
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She called the theories "sick." For months, the two women only spoke through intermediaries. Candace was even excluded from Kirk's memorial service, which featured speakers like Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson. Candace claimed she was being silenced; TPUSA insiders said she had simply gone too far down the rabbit hole for them to associate with her anymore.
A Four-Hour Sit-Down
In a surprising twist in late December 2025, the two actually met.
They sat down for four and a half hours to hash it out. Candace called the meeting "productive" and claimed they agreed on more than she expected. But did it save the legacy of the Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk friendship? Probably not.
While they managed to lower the temperature, the damage was done. Turning Point USA had to pivot to "damage control" mode, even holding a livestream to debunk Candace's claims point-by-point. It was a surreal moment in conservative media—the organization Kirk built was forced to publicly litigate the claims of the woman he once called his best friend.
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What Most People Get Wrong
People think this was a simple political disagreement. It wasn't.
- It wasn't just about Israel: While their differing views on geopolitics played a huge role, the rift was more about methodology. Kirk was a builder; Candace had become a disruptor.
- The "Betrayal" Narrative: Candace insisted she was the only "true" friend looking for justice. Kirk’s inner circle saw her as someone exploiting a tragedy for clicks.
- The Future of TPUSA: Many thought Candace would take over TPUSA after Charlie's death. Instead, the friendship's collapse ensured she would be permanently exiled from the organization.
The Actionable Takeaway: Navigating High-Stakes Friendships
The saga of Candace and Charlie is a masterclass in what happens when personal loyalty clashes with professional branding and extreme ideology. If you find yourself in a situation where a close friend or business partner is heading down a path you can't follow, here is how the "pros" (or at least the survivors) handle it:
- Set Boundaries Early: The TPUSA team waited months to publicly correct Candace, hoping she’d stop. It didn't work. In any relationship, address the "weirdness" before it becomes a public crisis.
- Private First, Public Last: Erika Kirk’s decision to finally meet in person, despite the public vitriol, was the only thing that actually slowed the news cycle. Hard conversations belong behind closed doors.
- Distinguish Grief from Truth: Candace's defenders say she acted out of love and grief. However, as the TPUSA fallout shows, grief doesn't give you a pass to rewrite facts or hurt the people the deceased loved most.
The Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk friendship started as a success story of two outsiders taking on the world. It ended as a cautionary tale of how quickly a legacy can be overshadowed by the very person who helped build it. Whether Candace ever fully returns to the "mainstream" right remains to be seen, but the bridge to the Kirk empire appears to be permanently burned.
Next Steps for You: If you want to understand the full timeline of the legal fallout from these events, I can break down the current status of the defamation lawsuits involving Candace Owens and the Macron family, or the latest updates from the Tyler Robinson murder trial.