Candace Owens had quite the friendship with Charlie Kirk before his untimely death. "Charlie really was an amazing person," Owens said in a September 2025 video, honoring Kirk. "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." Owens was referring to the video of Kirk's death at age 31, which went viral on social media after he was shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. "There's not a single person in the world that I would wish that on. Least of all, someone with a heart like Charlie's," Owens said. "He loved his family. He loved his wife. He loved his country. He didn't deserve that ending." Getty Images (2) She concluded: I will never allow the memory of Charlie to be forgotten, obviously. Because there is no Candace without Charlie. We came up in politics together." Owens and Charlie met in 2017 when they were both kicking off their career in politics. "We were totally locked in," Owens remembered when explaining how they forged a friendship while at a conference in Florida. Their friendship lasted throughout their respective careers until Kirk's death. In the wake of his murder, Owens has been outspoken in her belief that Tyler Robinson (who was arrested for Kirk's death) was not the perpetrator. Owens later published a leaked audio recording of Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, which was allegedly recorded nearly two weeks after her husband's death. In the footage, Erika appears to be praising members of the Turning Point USA team for their success on a conference call. (Us Weekly reached out to Erika and Turning Point USA for comment.) Erika and Charlie Kirk's Relationship Timeline: Inside Their Love Story "We are not even two weeks after watching your husband be assassinated," Owens said, when reacting to the alleged audio. "We're talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit." A spokesperson for Owens told Us at the time that the "video is real and authenticated." Keep scrolling to look back at Owens' friendship with Charlie: How Did Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens Meet? After they crossed paths at a conference in 2017, Charlie "hired me on the spot," Owens remembered in her September 2025 video. "I learned very quickly with Charlie that politics breeds unnecessary enemies. It is incredibly disheartening industry," she said. "You're lucky if you have one friend. You're lucky if you have two friends. There are so many people that will test your character along the way." How Long Did Candace Owens Work for Turning Point USA? Owens worked as the communications director for Turning Point USA from 2017 to 2019. "For two years straight, Charlie and I flew around the world together on very little sleep. We were always exhausted. I'm not kidding. We took hundreds of flights together. We slept in the crappiest hotel rooms," Owens said. "When you're in that capacity with someone for two years straight just traveling non-stop, you really get to know them. You really see them in every condition. You start bickering like an old married couple." The Biggest Revelations From Erika Kirk on Megyn Kelly's Podcast What Did Charlie Kirk Say About Candace Owens? Charlie referred to Owens as "a great friend" in August 2025 during one of his speaking engagements. "I don't agree with everything Candace says, but you know what I don't do? I don't stop being friends with people just because people morally blackmail me," he said. "I don't do that and you shouldn't either." Owens reacted to this comment after Charlie's death, calling him "a very loyal friend." Is Candace Owens Friends With Erika Kirk? Erika asked Owens to "stop" sharing conspiracy theories about Charlie's death in a December 2025 statement. The two women met up face-to-face that same month. Erika noted that the two had "a very productive conversation," She told followers there would be "more to come from both of us." Owens also called it a step "in the right direction." More than one month later, Owens published the alleged leaked audio of Erika. "That's moving pretty quickly to the acceptance phase now," Owens said at the time. "We know everybody grieves differently. In my imagination, I just thought she would be more upset."