Candace Owens
Candace Owens, speaking here at a recent podcast. YouTube

Candace Owens faces backlash after private iMessages from the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk leaked. The supposed screenshots appeared to show Kirk accusing fellow commentator Ben Shapiro of trying to destroy both of their careers, but analysts and online users now allege the images are fake.

The Alleged Texts and What They Claimed

The controversy began when Owens shared screenshots on X that she said came from Kirk in 2018. The messages appeared to show Kirk accusing Shapiro, the influential founder of The Daily Wire and Young America's Foundation, of deliberately sabotaging their political rise.

In the alleged exchange, Kirk supposedly told Owens that she had 'become bigger than Ben' and that Shapiro viewed her as his 'slave'. Another line suggested that Shapiro wanted to 'kill' their momentum within the conservative movement.

Owens captioned the screenshots, 'One of about 300 that I have,' implying she had extensive evidence of Shapiro's alleged schemes. She added, 'I have to think Charlie is in heaven laughing at the sheer audacity of Ben calling me evil.'

The posts immediately went viral, with supporters of Owens rallying behind her claims — until digital analysts began to look closer.

Evidence Suggests the Screenshots Were Fabricated

Frank McCormick, an analyst known online as @CBHeresy, was among the first to challenge the authenticity of the screenshots. Using ChatGPT to compare the images against real iMessage design metrics, McCormick concluded that the screenshots appeared to be 'digitally fabricated mockups'.

According to his findings, the supposed texts contained numerous inconsistencies:

  1. Bubble shape and padding: The edges were too sharp and uneven compared to Apple's signature iMessage layout.
  2. Header design: The contact bar labelled 'Charlie' didn't match any version of iOS, past or present.
  3. Typography and spacing: The text lacked Apple's San Francisco font and showed incorrect line spacing.
  4. Colour gradient: The grey bubbles were too dark and flat, missing iMessage's signature depth and shimmer.

Even older iPhone interfaces followed consistent spacing and typeface rules, none of which matched Owens' screenshots. The evidence, according to McCormick, suggested the messages were not screenshots of a real chat but rather generated imitations designed to look authentic.

Further analysis pointed to linguistic similarities between both sides of the supposed conversation, raising even more suspicion. Each message used nearly identical sentence rhythms, phrasing, and tone, McCormick argued, that the dialogue may have been written by the same person.

The Online Fallout and Conservative Reactions

Once the analysis went viral, backlash against Owens was swift. Critics called the stunt 'embarrassing', accusing her of manufacturing evidence to revive personal feuds and boost engagement.

Owens' supporters, however, claimed that she was being unfairly targeted. Some insisted the screenshots could still be real and argued that McCormick's analysis was politically motivated.

As of publication, Owens has not addressed the forgery accusations directly, though she continues to repost messages defending her credibility.

The timing of the controversy has also reignited attention on Charlie Kirk's and Ben Shapiro's long-standing rivalry within right-wing media. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was once a close ally of Shapiro before ideological and business differences reportedly created friction between them.

This latest drama now threatens to deepen divides within their shared audience, as followers debate whether the feud reflects personal ego clashes or deeper fractures in the conservative movement itself.

Feuds and Credibility in Conservative Media

The Owens incident has become more than a dispute over text messages. It symbolises the growing mistrust and competitiveness among conservative influencers who now command massive online followings and lucrative media platforms.

As Owens faces increasing scrutiny, this serves as a cautionary tale about credibility in an era where digital proof can be manufactured in minutes.

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