More leaked footage of Erika Kirk in the days and weeks after Charlie's death is being released! On Wednesday, Candace Owens - who was a close friend of Charlie's - released video call footage of Erika reportedly recorded on September 16 - just five days after her husband was assassinated. In it, she appears without hair and makeup done, but is unexpectedly happy in between some passes with Kleenex, laughing as she addresses the Turning Point USA staff, sharing for the first time that she would be taking over as CEO and Chairwoman. The public was informed a day later. Related: Nicki Minaj Praises Trump With Erika Kirk Explaining the video, Candace said: "The employees that chose this and the employees that are still there and upset with the manner in which people were fired, are saying that they feel like it was like a cult. They knew something was off. They felt like they were being manipulated, that they were only given Erika as this symbol of you guys need to work harder, as though Charlie's wife was being used to convince employees that it is now a mandate handed to them by God to work harder, to sacrifice themselves, to work longer days because this - this is their new family." Suggesting Erika was trauma-bonding with the staff, the host reflected: "I've always been struck by this, describing the employees like a family to drive them to work like horses only to then fire them after a quarter billion is raised is wild." The staff who "are leaving" told the podcast, "it's just like a cult." They also claimed they felt like they were being "emotionally manipulated" into working harder "because it's what Charlie would want." Oof. Starting off the meeting, Erika was caught laughing about Zoom functions. Later, the conservative urged the staff to share stories about Charlie and to hold those moments in their hearts "as why you're still here with the Turning Point USA family." She promised that she'd do everything to protect everyone's jobs: "Turning Point USA will continue, like my husband always wanted, and it will be bigger than ever. And we're going to honor him by doing that. We're going to stay humble. We're going to work hard because that's what he would want. And we're going to just make it grow. And we're going to keep our eyes fixed on heaven." She added that Charlie would "find ways to speak to us," and that she would "fight like hell to make sure that all of you have a job here" moving forward, though she acknowledged she couldn't predict the future. She said: "I don't want anyone to think their job's in jeopardy because you're family. If you choose to leave, that's different. I never will, and I promise you, I will make sure that I never allow a point to where you have to leave because we cannot financially afford you. And that is a promise. I want our family to stay together, the best it can. Obviously, ... there's unforeseen things that might pop up here and there that we can't foresee in the future." Uhhh, that's a BOLD promise to make in any business! And of all the things she said on that call, THAT'S what makes her cry the hardest! And it's ultimately a promise she couldn't - or decided not to - keep, according to Candace. The 37-year-old stressed that they were "all loved" and that "Charlie would be" proud, speculating: "He's obviously celebrating in heaven, amongst many things, but he's so proud of all of you. And he's so proud of all of you for keeping this mission alive and he knows that you can do it, that's why you're hired. And he knows that you will be able to carry the torch and he knows that you're going to do a great job, and you're going to be able to, even though things are going to be tough." Acknowledging nights and mornings can be tough amid grief, the mother of two expressed: "If I didn't have the family, the Turning Point USA family with me, all of you, I would be a disaster. I mean, I would be in the fetal position 24/7, but the fact that we have a continued mission to look forward to, and we have our family, it's everything. And some of you, this is your chosen family. Just rely and lean on each other. That's huge." Getting emotional, she shared: "We're going to make sure that we honor my husband so well that this whole world knows what his vision was and will be. And it's just... I feel so blessed and honored." Damn. An interesting choice of words! Watch her full meeting HERE. As we all know, people grieve differently. Everyone has their own timeline and way of expressing their emotions. It seems like getting to pour her attention onto her husband's life work was really impactful for Erika, and that may explain why she comes across so joyful just days after the tremendous loss. However, for Charlie's close friend Candace and some of his fans, it's certainly inneresting to see what her behavior and demeanor was like at Turning Point in the early days, especially as her focus so quickly turned to finances! Reactions? Any of this come across as off-putting to you? Let us know