KEY POINTS
- Candace Owens claimed she wasn't invited and hinted that Erika Kirk and TPUSA donors played a role in excluding her.
- She denied any rift with Erika Kirk but admitted she no longer felt part of the "controlled narrative."
Candace Owens, one of the most prominent conservative commentators in the United States, has confirmed she did not attend the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was shot dead earlier this month during a university event in Utah.
The service, held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, drew thousands of mourners, including former President Donald Trump and leading figures from the American right. Owens' absence quickly sparked speculation about divisions within the movement, particularly given her longstanding ties to Kirk.
Owens: 'I wasn't invited'
Owens addressed the issue directly on social media and in a recent broadcast. She said she had chosen to stay home and watch parts of the service on television rather than attend in person.
'I wasn't invited to speak and I wasn't invited to attend in any official capacity,' she claimed. Owens suggested that Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, along with major donors to Turning Point USA, were in control of the memorial programme and had decided who would be involved.
'I watched Erika's speech and I honoured Charlie privately. That's how I chose to do it,' she said, adding that she preferred to grieve outside what she described as a carefully curated public event.
Allegations of Exclusion
Owens implied she had been deliberately left out, telling her audience she had heard 'through the grapevine' that her presence was not wanted. 'I'm not going to beg to be part of someone's public grieving process just to make headlines,' she said.
Her comments followed weeks of speculation about a rift between Owens and Kirk, fuelled by her outspoken criticism of US foreign policy towards Israel — a position that alienated some of Turning Point USA's wealthiest donors.
Denies Friendship Breakdown
Despite the rumours, Owens denied there had been a full 'breakup' between her and Kirk. 'We were still speaking. We didn't stop being friends just because we didn't agree on everything,' she insisted.
At the same time, she admitted she no longer feels part of what she called a 'controlled narrative' around Kirk's death and legacy. 'There are some people who only want certain faces front and centre. I'm not one of those faces anymore. And that's fine,' she said.
Criticism From Within
Owens' remarks have not gone unchallenged. Pastor Rob McCoy, a close ally of Kirk and Turning Point USA, criticised her for spreading conspiracy theories around the assassination and suggested her absence from the memorial was self-inflicted. 'Charlie always treated her well, even when they disagreed,' McCoy said.
Her decision also divided online audiences. Some conservatives defended Owens for 'staying true to her values,' while others accused her of turning a tragedy into a personal drama.
A Movement Under Strain
Owens' absence underscores the growing fractures within the conservative movement in the United States. While Kirk's memorial was intended as a show of unity, the fallout has highlighted deep disagreements between populist influencers, traditional party figures and donor-driven organisations.
As one social media commenter put it: 'The funeral said more about the state of the right than any CPAC speech ever could.'
