Erika Kirk and Candace Owens Are “Friends” on Social Media, but Are They in Real Life?

It’s no secret that Candace Owens and the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk were close friends and even worked together, as she joined Team Turning Point USA sometime after meeting Charlie in 2017. Despite what Turning Point USA board member Eric Bolling said on the PBD Podcast, claiming the two had a falling out and suggesting Candace hasn’t been involved with TPUSA for some time, Candace’s outspokenness following his death suggests otherwise.

Plus, she says she was involved in TPUSA events as recently as 2024.

But what about Candace and Erika Kirk? Are they friends? With Candace having been such a big part of Charlie’s life, you’d think they would be, right?

According to Turning Point USA board member Eric Bolling, Erika and Candace do not have a relationship. But on social media, they are friends as Erika is following Candace on Instagram as of this writing. Generally, when individuals of that status follow each other online, it often means something. Maybe they’re bonding over their love for Charlie, or perhaps Erika is trying to get closer to Candace as some members of TPUSA attempt to push her out of the picture.

As you may know, Erika is now the TPUSA CEO, tasked with carrying on Charlie’s legacy. But there are many other people involved in the organization, some of whom are trying to paint the picture that ties between TPUSA and Candace were severed long before they actually were. So either Erika is working to repair those ties, or she’s simply staying close to those who share cherished memories of Charlie. Those are two theories.

One reason to think Erika and Candace may be closer than Eric suggested on the PBD Podcast comes from his conflicting comments after Charlie’s death. He claimed Candace hadn’t participated in any TPUSA events in years, yet she has confirmed she has proof of engaging in events as recently as 2024. Clearly, there’s some drama between Candace and TPUSA, which could stem from her views on Israel conflicting with the organization’s stance.

According to Candace, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman staged an intervention in the Hamptons to address Charlie’s “rational” views on Israel. Allegedly, Bill didn’t agree with these views, and “threats were made,” Candace claimed she was told. A clip of Candace explaining this was later shared on the PBD Podcast on Sept. 17, 2025.

Candace is now being pegged as someone who went too far down a rabbit hole for Charlie, which allegedly lessened their bond. Yet she remains one of the most outspoken figures regarding his death, even sharing a few theories, one of which suggests the feds may have played a role in it.

Regardless, it’s clear some TPUSA members are pushing the narrative that Candace’s views didn’t align with Charlie’s later in their relationship, perhaps to protect the organization from criticism. Or maybe there’s another agenda at play.

That seems unlikely, considering they’re friends on Instagram and the fact that Candace publicly shared she made the decision not to attend the funeral at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sept. 21, 2025. Candace didn’t say she wasn’t going because she was banned; rather, she didn’t want to go because something felt off. She’s been very outspoken against the feds since Charlie’s death, and because the funeral was being organized by them, it felt “strange” to her.

While explaining her decision, she also added, “You know, while I’m attacking the feds, maybe not going to a public event which the feds are organizing is a very good idea. I’m good.”

With both Erika and Candace still following each other on Instagram as of early October 2025, it’s safe to say the ties between these two women haven’t been fully severed.