Leaked texts show Charlie Kirk believed Ben Shapiro tried to 'kill' his and Candace Owens' careers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Newly emerged and presently unverified text messages, purportedly shared between the late Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens, have sparked renewed controversy, suggesting that Kirk believed Ben Shapiro had attempted to undermine their developing careers, particularly his work with Turning Point USA.

The messages hinted at a deep-seated rivalry, with Kirk having perceived a hostile attitude from Shapiro toward both him and Owens, fueling the perception of internal power struggles within the conservative sphere.

Charlie Kirk's apparent suspicions of sabotage and Ben Shapiro's intentions

Screenshots shared by AFpost on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, purportedly capture Carlie Kirk's reaction to an article suggesting Ben Shapiro's Young America's Foundation (YAF) was running a smear campaign against the two.

Therein, Kirk expressed extreme skepticism about Shapiro's motives related to Owens. 

Kirk reportedly said Owens had "become bigger than Ben" and claimed Shapiro regards her dismissively. "He views you as my slave. 'Control her' is what he was really saying to me when he called," read some of the text messages. 

Kirk vaguely referenced his own rivalry with Shapiro and insinuated that his own growing clout was one Shapiro had wished to restrain, saying, “The ben thing involves me more than he wants to admit. He knows Jon Snow is stronger as the dragons fly higher.”

Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens' feud boils over

The friction between Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens recently boiled over following the Daily Wire co-founder's recent appearance on 'The Megyn Kelly Show'. 

During the interview, Shapiro accused Owens of “vile” behavior and further alleged that she had suggested Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, was involved in his death. 

Owens quickly took to X to respond to the accusations, calling Shapiro “completely deranged” and accusing him of lying with the intention of manipulating Megyn Kelly into publicly condemning her. 

She wrote, "He tried to pressure Megyn Kelly to make a statement about me by lying through his teeth and EXPLICITLY stating that I accused Erika Kirk of killing her husband. And then saying it was an evil that Megyn had to condemn. He is completely deranged."

Erika Kirk's appeal regarding the noise surrounding Charlie's death

Among all the very public mayhem, Erika Kirk, who has been subjected to speculation following her husband's death, publicly implored people to avoid such talk, warning that this kind of speculation and commentary might have a negative impact on their children.  

"Please think about what you post. What’s shared online will impact his kids in the future. I just want my children to one day go online and see something that honors who he really was — not the noise, not the lies. Some grace would be nice," Erika said during her interview with Fox News' Jesse Watters.