Conservative commentator Candace Owens has publicly identified a former Turning Point USA (TPUSA) fundraising executive as the person she says filmed Erika Kirk standing at her husband Charlie Kirk's casket, intensifying an already fraught dispute inside the influential US conservative organisation.
The renewed row centres on a shortvideo clip of Erika at the open casket of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, who was killed on 10 September 2025 during an appearance at Utah Valley University. The footage, recorded at a subsequent memorial service, resurfaced this week when influencer Zach Costello reposted it on social media, prompting Owens to question both how it was taken and why it was circulated.
In comments made after Costello's repost on 12 September, Owens claimed theErika Kirk casket videohad originally been filmed by Stacy Sheridan, whom she described as a senior fundraising figure at TPUSA at the time of the service. Sheridan previously held the title of senior advancement director and is no longer listed on TPUSA's website.
Erika Kirk posts a video of her at the casket of Charlie Kirk. If this doesn't get your heart, what will.pic.twitter.com/8W3hZfzAlZ
Owens has been a prominent ally of TPUSA in the past but has increasingly used her platform to challenge aspects of the organisation's internal culture and its handling of Kirk's death. Her latest remarks fold the casket clip into wider questions she has been raising about the circumstances surrounding the 30-year-old activist's killing and the conduct of those around his widow.
The disputed video appears to show Erika Kirk at or near Charlie Kirk's casket during funeral proceedings. Owens has suggested that filming a private moment at such a time was inappropriate, although Erika has not publicly commented on that characterisation. There is no indication the recording was made without permission, and no allegation of illegality has been made.
TPUSA has not issued a statement in response to Owens' claims about Sheridan or to the renewed circulation of the clip. Sheridan has not addressed the allegation on her public channels, and her current role outside TPUSA remains unclear.
Owens' criticism comes against the backdrop of anongoing criminal investigation into Charlie Kirk's death in Utahand unresolved tensions over how allies and colleagues have responded. Local authorities have previously confirmed that Kirk died on 10 September during an appearance at Utah Valley University, but full investigative findings have not yet been made public.
Owens has said she continues to harbour doubts about the events surrounding the killing and about decisions taken in the days that followed. In the latest exchange, she linked theErika Kirk casket videoto what she portrays as a pattern of poor judgement by some within TPUSA's orbit, though she has not produced further evidence beyond her account of who filmed the clip.
🚨 BREAKING: Candace Owens just went FULL DEMON on grieving mom Erika Kirk—mocking her plea to keep Charlie’s grave private after she shared his casket online.Candace sneers: “You don’t get to pick & choose privacy—Meghan Markle Syndrome.” Then calls Erika a “demonic witch” for…pic.twitter.com/sM3Hym6C53
Source: International Business Times UK
