Candace Owens made several controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk following his recent death. She claimed that Kirk was "changing his opinion" on Israel and alleged that billionaire Bill Ackman pressured him during a meeting at the Hamptons to visit Israel. Owens also said that in one of her last conversations with Kirk, he was moving away from Protestantism towards Catholicism, stating she told him, "You are too smart to be a Protestant." These claims sparked backlash, with Bill Ackman denying them as "totally false" and the pastor of Kirk's church calling Owens' remarks conspiracy theories. Owens also suggested that Kirk's assassination was not random but related to his views on Israel, alleging pressure from "top Jewish donors" on Kirk. These statements were widely condemned as conspiracy theories and antisemitic rhetoric. Owens' commentary has drawn renewed attention to her complicated history and sometimes strained relationship with Kirk. Charlie Kirk's own pastor publicly criticized Owens for spreading such conspiracies during a time of mourning and emphasized that Kirk never spoke poorly of Owens publicly despite their disagreements. Owens described Kirk as her "best friend" and "like a brother" even as their views diverged publicly in recent years.
