Inside Candace Owens’ bond with Charlie Kirk: From best friends to Erika Kirk controversy after his death (Image via Getty)

Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk shared a deep friendship bond that shaped both their lives and careers. Their friendship began years before tragedy struck and lasted until Kirk’s sudden death in September 2025. Candace Owens spoke about her emotional pain and her memories of Charlie Kirk and her remaining uncertainties about the events that followed after his death. Charlie Kirk died at age 31 after being shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. A video of the incident later spread online and shocked many people. Owens described the moment as something she can never forget. She said the loss still feels unreal.

As Candace Owens mourned her close friend, tension slowly grew between her and Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk. That tension later turned into public drama after Owens shared a leaked audio recording linked to Erika. The situation brought strong reactions and raised questions about grief, timing, and trust. Much of this information was reported by Us Weekly.

Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk met in 2017 at a political conference in Florida. Owens said Kirk hired her right away. At the time, both were just starting their political careers.“Charlie really was an amazing person,” Owens said in a September 2025 video. “We were really close and he was my best friend and my brother and I will never unsee the footage of what I saw, the violence of it.”Candace Owens worked as the communications director for Turning Point USA from 2017 to 2019. During those years, she and Kirk traveled almost nonstop.“For two years straight, Charlie and I flew around the world together on very little sleep,” Owens said. “We took hundreds of flights together. When you’re in that capacity with someone for two years straight just traveling non-stop, you really get to know them.”Charlie Kirk also spoke warmly about Owens shortly before his death.“I don’t agree with everything Candace says, but I don’t stop being friends with people just because people morally blackmail me,” Kirk said during an August 2025 speaking event.After Charlie Kirk’s death, Owens questioned the arrest of Tyler Robinson, who was taken into custody in connection with the case. She later shared an audio recording that was allegedly of Erika Kirk, recorded about two weeks after Kirk’s death. In the audio, Erika appeared to praise Turning Point USA staff during a call. Us Weekly confirmed that a spokesperson for Owens said the video was “real and authenticated.” Us Weekly also reached out to Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA for comment.Erika Kirk later asked Owens to stop sharing theories about the case. The two met in December 2025 and called the meeting productive. However, more than a month later, Owens released the audio and questioned Erika’s grieving process.“That’s moving pretty quickly to the acceptance phase now,” Candace Owens said. “We know everybody grieves differently.”