Candace Owens
Youtube/Candace Owens

Candace Owens has pushed back against claims she doctored text messages allegedly sent by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, revealing what she called definitive proof on her live podcast.

Owens Fires Back Live with Timestamped 'Proof'

In the episode, Owens scrolled through her phone to show timestamped chats, insisting they were real. 'They're saying I faked the text messages again, the ones I showed regarding Ben Shapiro,' she said. 'They got AI analysis. These are fake.'

She then presented what she claimed were the original message threads, saying the evidence would silence critics who had accused her of fabricating the screenshots. Supporters flooded X with praise. One user wrote, 'Candace doesn't lie and she sure doesn't release things she can't prove. She waits for the idiots to deny so she can show everyone they're all full of it.'

The live broadcast quickly went viral, trending across conservative media circles and rekindling discussion over Owens' long-standing tensions with Shapiro, the influential founder of The Daily Wire.

How the Controversy Started

The uproar began when Owens shared screenshots on X that she said were from 2018, showing an alleged private conversation with Kirk. In the messages, Kirk appeared to accuse Shapiro of sabotaging their political momentum and treating Owens as inferior.

One alleged text read that Owens had 'become bigger than Ben', while another suggested Shapiro viewed her as his 'slave'. Owens captioned the post, 'One of about 300 that I have,' hinting she possessed extensive evidence.

At first, her followers rallied behind her. But digital analysts soon raised red flags, pointing to inconsistencies in the text layout and metadata. Claims that the screenshots were photoshopped spread rapidly, prompting accusations that Owens had faked the evidence to fuel personal drama and online engagement.

By the weekend, critics were calling it one of the 'most embarrassing stunts' of her career until she went live to respond.

Owens' Podcast Defence and Revelations

In her latest episode, Owens tackled the issue head-on. She showed her messages on-screen, pointing out the timestamps as proof. 'I had a phone call with someone,' she said, 'who's extremely close to this current administration. And they said, completely off-handedly, we were not even really discussing Charlie. But then they said, you know something that's really weird? I was at Charlie's memorial.'

She continued describing the conversation, saying the source noticed how Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organisation founded by Kirk, had shifted focus over the years. 'She said, when did Turning Point become so faith-focused? Obviously Charlie always spoke about his evangelical faith, but back then it was all about free markets and capitalism. And I said, you know, that is actually interesting. That is true. Turning Point suddenly got super faith-focused with what I would say is an interesting cast of characters.'

Owens named Rob McCoy and Lance Wallnau as figures involved in that transformation. She framed the moment as part of a broader effort to understand Kirk's death and the evolving priorities within the movement he helped build.

Her remarks added a new dimension to the debate, connecting her defence of the texts to wider questions about influence, ideology and authenticity within conservative circles.

Online Reaction and Conservative Fallout

Public reaction remains sharply divided. Sceptics argue that visual evidence on a livestream still falls short of forensic validation. Others suspect Owens is using the controversy to promote her show and assert dominance in the ongoing ideological rifts among right-wing influencers.

Meanwhile, the saga has reignited discussion about the fractured state of conservative media. Once united voices like Shapiro, Kirk and Owens are now at the centre of competing narratives, personal feuds and public suspicion.

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