The main lawsuit tied to Candace Owens’ claims about Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a federal defamation suit filed by Brian Harpole, Kirk’s former head of security, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on April 30, 2026. Harpole says Owens falsely accused him of helping plan and cover up the September 2025 killing. He is not the only person suing her: French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have a separate defamation case pending in Delaware, and Erika Kirk’s legal team has sent cease-and-desist letters over a related YouTube series.1Justia Dockets. Harpole v. Owens et al2The Tennessean. Charlie Kirk Candace Owens Brian Harpole Defamation
Who Brian Harpole Is
Harpole founded Integrity Security Solutions, a Texas-based private security firm. His company provided security for Turning Point USA and personal protective services for Charlie Kirk from 2022 until Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.3Scribd. Brian Harpole v. Candace Owens4BBC News. Charlie Kirk Shot and Killed at Utah Valley University
In the months after Kirk’s death, Owens used her podcast to reject the official account that suspect Tyler Robinson acted alone. She alleged that Turning Point USA employees were “in on” the killing, that Kirk had been “betrayed” by people close to him, and that state and federal law enforcement were covering up a “bigger crime.”5CNN. Candace Owens Erika Kirk Podcast
What Owens Said About Harpole
The specific claims aimed at Harpole came through Mitch Snow, a retired Army staff sergeant Owens interviewed on her podcast. Snow said he saw Harpole leaving a “top brass meeting” at the Fort Huachuca army installation in Arizona in early September 2025, one day before Kirk was killed. Snow also said he was “95 to 99 percent sure” he recognized Erika Kirk at the location. The theory offered to Owens’ audience was that the meeting was where the assassination was coordinated.6Times of India. Candace Owens Highlights New Claims After Eyewitness Mitch Snow Shares Details on Charlie Kirk Death Timeline
Harpole’s complaint says he was never at Fort Huachuca and that travel records place him in Dallas, Texas, at the time of the alleged meeting. He describes Snow’s account as “fabricated information” and says Owens endorsed it as “one-hundred percent honest” while telling her audience it would produce a “full confession from the government.”7Forbes. Charlie Kirk’s Former Security Guard Sues Candace Owens
The Complaint
The suit names Owens, her companies Candace Owens LLC and GeorgeTom Inc., and Mitchell Snow as defendants.1Justia Dockets. Harpole v. Owens et al It alleges that Owens accused Harpole of “foreknowledge, participation in, and cover up of the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” “professional unfitness and criminal negligence,” and being “an active participant in Kirk’s death.”2The Tennessean. Charlie Kirk Candace Owens Brian Harpole Defamation
Harpole seeks at least $75,000 in damages, the jurisdictional minimum for the federal court. His filing states that a “reasonable award is well into the millions of dollars.”7Forbes. Charlie Kirk’s Former Security Guard Sues Candace Owens
Owens’ Response
On her podcast, Owens called the lawsuit “one big PR move.” Her main legal argument previewed there is that Harpole is a public figure, not a private one, because he appeared on “The Shawn Ryan Show,” a podcast with a significant audience in political and military circles. If a court agrees, Harpole faces a higher standard of proof, having to show Owens acted with actual malice rather than mere negligence.
Harpole’s complaint answers that argument in advance. It says he went on that podcast “solely to respond to and rebut the defamatory statements” Owens had already made about him. Owens also said she tried repeatedly to reach Harpole by text before the suit to ask about the Fort Huachuca claims. According to the complaint, Harpole did not respond because he saw the messages as a “cynical attempt to profit from a situation she had manufactured.”7Forbes. Charlie Kirk’s Former Security Guard Sues Candace Owens
An initial case management conference is scheduled for July 28, 2026.1Justia Dockets. Harpole v. Owens et al
Erika Kirk’s Cease-and-Desist Letters
Erika Kirk, who became CEO and board chair of Turning Point USA one week after her husband’s death, has not filed her own defamation suit against Owens as of the material available here. Her legal response has come through cease-and-desist letters.8Politico. Erika Kirk Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk
The trigger was a YouTube series Owens launched in late February 2026 called “Bride of Charlie: An Investigative Series.” The first episode drew 2.7 million views in under 24 hours. It called Erika Kirk a “fraud” and a “liar” and included claims tying her family to Jeffrey Epstein through a former modeling agency, along with allegations involving money laundering, occult practices, and MK Ultra.9USA Today. Candace Owens Bride Charlie Erika Kirk A Turning Point USA spokesperson told MS NOW that the Epstein-related allegation was false, saying Erika Kirk never worked for the modeling agency in question.10MS NOW. Now Candace Owens Is Trying to Link Erika Kirk to Jeffrey Epstein
Kirk’s legal team sent cease-and-desist letters to Owens and others, demanding retractions and apologies. Owens said on her podcast that she did not intend to comply.11The Hollywood Reporter. Erika Kirk TPUSA Cease and Desist Letter
Erika Kirk also disclosed on CBS News that the Treasury Department had sent her a letter confirming the tax-exempt entities she oversees are not under IRS investigation. A senior Treasury official described the accusations that prompted the inquiry as “malicious lies and smears.”12CBS News. Erika Kirk Candace Owens Conspiracy Theories Charlie Kirk
The Parallel Macron Case
Owens’ defamation exposure predates the Kirk-related claims. In July 2025, Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron filed a 22-count, 219-page complaint against Owens, Candace Owens LLC, and GeorgeTom Inc. in Delaware Superior Court. The Macrons accuse Owens of orchestrating a “campaign of global humiliation” by promoting the theory that Brigitte Macron was born a man. The complaint cites Owens’ eight-part podcast series “Becoming Brigitte,” social media posts, and a “Man of the Year” T-shirt she sold as merchandise. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages, including punitive damages.13Axios. Macrons Candace Owens Defamation Lawsuit14Bloomberg Law. French President Macron Sues Candace Owens in US for Defamation
Owens moved to dismiss the case in October 2025 on jurisdictional and statute-of-limitations grounds. In April 2026, Marc Kasowitz, an attorney linked to Donald Trump, withdrew from Owens’ defense team without explanation.15Bloomberg Law. Trump Lawyer Kasowitz Leaves Candace Owens Team in Macron Case A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for June 22, 2026, before Judge Sheldon K. Rennie.16Delaware Courts. Macron et al. v. Candace Owens et al., Case N25C-07-194 Owens has publicly vowed to fight and has solicited donations for a legal fund she estimates will cost $5 million.17Fortune. Candace Owens Brigitte Macron Lawsuit
What to Watch Next
Two dates set the near-term calendar. The Macron motion-to-dismiss hearing on June 22, 2026, will test whether the Delaware court has jurisdiction and whether the claims are timely. The Harpole initial case management conference on July 28, 2026, will start scheduling in the Tennessee case, where the fight over whether Harpole is a public or private figure is likely to shape everything that follows.16Delaware Courts. Macron et al. v. Candace Owens et al., Case N25C-07-1941Justia Dockets. Harpole v. Owens et al