Who is Candace Owens? The right-wing journalist who is besties with Andrew Tate and Kanye West
If you’ve ever spent time on the conservative side of the internet, you will almost certainly have come across a woman named Candace Owens. An online purveyor of all things fear-mongering, Owens has built a career off of smashing the female Republican stereotype. Her delivery is straightforward and packaged in such a way that you simply can’t help but want to lean in and learn more about her. The goal is to disarm people, and let’s just say, Owens knows how to rock the boat.
Owens’ stature as a conservative political commentator has seen her become a household name in the US, meaning that her harmful rhetoric is now reaching millions of people on a daily basis. This article will delve into her ideology and the ways in which she’s churned hate and bias all in the name of her own so-called ‘truth’.
Who is Candace Owens?
Owens grew up in Connecticut and was raised by her grandparents from the age of 12, following her parents’ divorce. During her childhood, she experienced a number of extremely brutal racist attacks, including death threats and physical attacks. She then pursued an education in journalism and very quickly rose through the academic ranks.
It’s an understatement to say that Owens has been through her fair share of careers. Having started off as the CEO of a marketing agency, the New York native quickly segued into political commentary. Having previously criticised Republican politicians—notably former President Donald Trump—Owens pretty quickly found her wheelhouse in conservative activism and social commentary, particularly on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. On YouTube alone, Owens has over two million followers.
The ‘journalist’ (I use that word loosely) grabs people’s attention by using wildly controversial video titles such as Why I Used to Support Gay Rights and Black Woman Goes On INSANE Racist Rant Against White People.
What are Candace Owens’ politics?
Owens definitely has a few favourite topics to focus on, notably the so-called fraudulent nature of Black Lives Matter (BLM), women’s clothing choices, and the apparent “gay agenda.” But of course, she always finds a way to share the love, or as I would call it, the batshit right-wing delulu that’s halting the progress of the entire United States.
And while I usually wouldn’t waste my time trying to dissect some of the most problematic and upsetting things I’ve ever heard, Owens is a powerhouse who isn’t going down anytime soon. So I think it’s for the best that we learn our stuff.
Owens’ role in the mainstream media space definitely acts as a kind of beacon for the old-school Republicans who want to prove that young women—particularly women of colour—do in fact resonate with a conservative mindset.
The commentator has frequently referred to climate change as a hoax and has implied that the entire climate crisis was conjured up by leftists in order to try and grab money from regular US citizens.
Another one of her public motives has been to minimalise the impacts of white supremacy and white nationalism in the US. Owens has persistently inferred that the country does not have a “race issue” and that there is in fact zero chance of racist groups such as the KKK regaining prominence in the US. Riiight.
This, of course, we know to be false. Particularly considering the recent rise in neo-Nazi support demonstrations taking place in Florida.
Owens has also faced backlash for her opinions on the MeToo movement. Using phrases such as “witch hunt” and “unfettered permission to say something happened,” Owens has been one of the biggest proponents pushing forward this social narrative of ‘don’t believe victims.’ It’s a conversation we, unfortunately, have to address time and time again. Too often we’ve seen right-wing journalists use 21st-century cancel culture as the reason for certain male celebrities being held to account for sexual assault allegations. Owens is a prime example of this.
It’s 100 per cent accurate that there are white women whose exclusionary feminist approach has perpetuated racism and discrimination—white women are indeed the problem in regard to a lot of progressive movements. However, this issue does not dismiss the importance of accountability and justice in regard to sexual assault and harassment. Moreover, it’s important to note that Owens has also repeatably noted that women use sex to get advancements in the workplace.
Candace Owens and Kanye West
Some of Owens’ most famous moments have involved her close friendship with controversial musician Kanye West, or as he’s now being referred to, Ye.
West himself has been in hot waters a number of times, primarily due to his statements about how he actually quite “likes” Hitler, as well as a slew of anti-semitic comments. These controversies have resulted in him losing a number of his lucrative partnerships, including his long-time Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.
His friendship with Owens spans a few decades. Back when Owens was first establishing herself as a journalist to be taken seriously, she referred to herself as the “female Kanye West.” Since that point, the two would often share support for one another on social media.
In October 2022, during his Paris Fashion Week show, West sent shockwaves through the internet when he was pictured posing with Owens in matching White Lives Matter jumpers. Shortly after the photo was published, West posted a statement to his Instagram story saying: “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it’s over, you’re welcome.” Owens, as previously mentioned, has been very publicly critical of the BLM movement and even produced a documentary titled The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM.
Candace Owens and Andrew Tate
I think it’s also relevant to mention Owens’ recent interview with alleged sex trafficker and rapist Andrew Tate. Tate, who is best known for his misogynistic online empire and subsequent criminal investigation regarding forcing women into creating explicit content on the internet for money, is currently in judicial control in Romania, awaiting trial.
On 28 July 2023, Owens visited Tate at his home and conducted an interview with him. During their conversation, it’s no understatement to say that Owens flooded Tate with compliments and pleasantries—remarking on his politeness and sympathising with him for how he’s been victimised…
While it’s in no way shocking to see Owens provide a platform for someone as vile as Tate, it’s crucial to recognise the fact that not only is Owens now supporting and defending predators in the ether, she’s going to their homes and actively praising their ‘success’.
Who is Candace Owens married to?
Candace Owens is married to British citizen George Farmer. Farmer is the son of a Conservative political party member and seemingly fits perfectly into Owens’ right-wing jigsaw. In fact, Farmer is technically the ‘Honourable George’, surely a title Owens is quite fond of.
In terms of Farmer’s own political ideology, he is vehemently pro-Brexit and was even CEO of Parler—a now inactive American alt-tech social networking service associated with conservatives. In fact, Farmer actually sold Parler to none other than Owens’ bestie Kanye West in 2022.
Why was Candace Owens suspended from YouTube?
On Monday 18 September, Owens was suspended from YouTube for ongoing hate speech towards the LGBTQIA+ community. As reported by PinkNews, The Daily Wire, a conservative channel where Owens hosts a show, shared in a different video that the presenter had been banned from the platform. Fellow Daily Wire host Michael Knowles stated that YouTube, “with its vague—some are calling them tyrannical—guidelines and their proclivity to censor conservative voices,” decided to put Owens in “YouTube jail.”
I’m sure that Owens will still try to monopolise her reach through other platforms, particularly as we move closer to the 2024 US Presidential election. The dominance of far-right conservative commentators in the mainstream has never been quite so pervasive and worrisome, and it’s something that we cannot run from. We have to face it head-on.
