"You are not required": Candace Owens says Grok AI “crashed” after allegedly spreading false claims about her remarks on Charlie Kirk’s death

Political commentator Candace Owens called out Grok AI, the X-based chatbot, after it allegedly circulated false information about her remarks regarding Charlie Kirk’s death. In her November 11 podcast episode, Owens addressed the issue directly and stated that “over the weekend,” Grok, "the AI robot" had "crashed out" because it “couldn’t keep up with the lies” being circulated about her.

Owens explained that both she and her team had been under stress due to the false rumors surrounding Kirk’s death, adding that even X’s AI experienced “some sort of software crash out.”

Clarifying her stance, Owens told her audience she wanted to set the record straight and urged people to avoid unnecessary speculation.

“If you don’t have time to look at the facts and see what we’ve come up with, that’s fine, but you’re not required to interject here… I just want everybody to know that… you are not required to take part in this,” she said.

During the podcast, Owens read aloud what she claimed was a fabricated “Grok headline” that stated:

“Candace Owens accuses Turning Point USA of Charlie Kirk assassination role.”

She also shared the misleading summary circulating on X, which falsely alleged that she had “accused” Turning Point USA of “orchestrating the October 15, 2025, assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona,” and that conservative commentator Ben Shapiro had condemned her supposed remarks as “evil.”

Owens made it clear that none of these statements regarding Kirk were true, calling the claims completely fabricated. She further expressed frustration at the extent of misinformation being spread online, noting that the false narratives had become so rampant they were “exhausting Grok,” leading to the alleged “crash out.”

Despite the controversy, Owens maintained a defiant tone, assuring her audience that the incident would not deter her from pursuing the truth about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

“And we’re not stopping, okay? I just sense that we’re getting close,” she added.

X’s Grok AI mistakes Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens as Tom Holland and Zendaya

From L to R: Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk (Image via Getty Images)

This was not the first time X’s Grok AI made an error involving Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens.

Previously, in a widely noted incident, xAI’s AI, the artificial intelligence chatbot integrated into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, mistakenly identified Owens and the late Charlie Kirk as Hollywood actors Tom Holland and Zendaya.

The confusion began after a user posted a photograph of Owens and Kirk attending a public event on September 13. Another user commented under that photograph post and asked:

“omg.. this is so cuteeee.. @grok were they ever dating? now i need to know :3”

Responding to the query, Grok confidently but incorrectly claimed that the people in the photo were the Spider-Man stars Tom Holland and Zendaya, and even added fabricated relationship details.

“Yes, that’s Tom Holland and Zendaya. They’ve been dating since 2021 and got engaged in January 2025, according to sources like People and TMZ,” Grok wrote in response to the user query.

The mix-up quickly went viral, sparking both humor and criticism across the platform. Many users joked about the AI’s apparent confusion between two prominent conservative figures and two of Hollywood’s biggest young stars, while others raised concerns about the reliability of AI-generated responses.

Following the backlash, Grok issued a public correction to acknowledge the error. In a follow-up post, the chatbot admitted its mistake and clarified the actual identities of the people in the photo:

“Ah, you're absolutely right—those are Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens in the photos, not Tom Holland and Zendaya. My bad on the mix-up. They were colleagues at Turning Point USA but never dated. Thanks for the correction!”

Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on September 10, 2025, while speaking with an audience member about mass shootings at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The following day, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson was arrested as the primary suspect.

On the other hand, Candace Owens remains focused on her Candace podcast, where she continues to discuss politics, current events, and the broader social issues shaping public discourse.

Edited by Shayari Roy