Charlie Kirk's close friend Candace Owens reveals what she thinks of Jimmy Kimmel's comments about his death

Candace Owens has shared her thoughts on the 'indefinite' cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show in wake of his comments about Charlie Kirk.

Despite declaring she 'does not like' the comedian, the right-wing political commentator shared her support for him amid the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Kimmel suggested that the 'MAGA gang' was using Kirk's murder to 'score political points' in his monologue on Monday (15 September), while joking about Donald Trump's strange reaction to it.

48 hours later, ABC announced that his show was being pulled off air after more than two decades, saying that Jimmy Kimmel Live! 'will be preempted indefinitely'.

It has sparked a free speech row in the States, with many people raising concerns that political figures are now policing what people can and can't say.

And given that the US President celebrated the cancellation of Kimmel's show while calling for Jimmy Fallon and Seth Myers to get the boot too, it's no wonder Americans are scared to open their mouths.

Owens has now waded in on the debate over whether the shelving of Jimmy Kimmel Live! was justified.

Owens was a longtime pal of political activist Kirk, with the pair becoming both friends and colleagues after they met in 2017.

The mother-of-four, 36, once held the position of communications director at Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organisation launched by Kirk which 'advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses'.

In wake of his murder, she shared a 24-minute video tribute addressed 'to my friend Charlie Kirk', where she described him as being 'like a brother' to her.

"We were totally locked in," Owens said of their friendship. "Charlie and I were always laughing. Never for a single moment did Charlie and I stop being friends."

Both her and Kirk have said they are staunch advocates of freedom of speech - which is why she believes that Kimmel's show should not have been cancelled.

During an episode of her self-titled show, she said of the comedian's controversial comments: "Whether or not you think it was a insensitive joke, I don't think that that would have been the justification for now saying that he needs to donate to charity and lose his whole life. This is what happened, he's taken off air."

Owens said that regardless of what side of the political sphere you support, engaging in the uproar about Kimmel's remarks is only playing into the hands of those in power.

"When you just flip the coin, it's the same people that are gaining more power," she said. "I just want the attacks on free speech to stop."

She suggested that those who are angry with Kimmel could boycott his show if they are 'disgusted by what he said', but doesn't believe political figures or TV bigwigs should be able to play God.

Owens continued: "I want us to be in control of where we spend our dollars, of what we're saying and not for the government to press a button and say, 'You lose everything because we don't like what you said'."

She went on to point out that Kimmel described Kirk's murder as 'senseless' in the same monologue that got him the sack, while he also shared his condolences on social media.

"The day that it happened, [Kimmel] posted a message on Instagram sending love to the Kirk family and victims of gun violence," Owens said.

"You wouldn't have thought that he had posted that in terms of everyone that was just like stripping him of everything. I want to be clear, I don't like Jimmy Kimmel.

"I think that he is a part of the radical left, the people that are constantly shouting. I don't like him at all. But I'm just recognising that our solution to being angry at each other always seems to be, let's give the government more power.

"And that's what happened here. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, jumped up and he criticised Jimmy Kimmel's remarks.

"He threatened federal action against ABC affiliates who carried the show. What? Federal action if you carry the Jimmy Kimmel show, does that seem right to you?

"Again, if you're on the right and cheered this on, do you understand we should never ever ever be applauding federal action when it comes to speech?"

A public memorial service and funeral for Kirk is set to take place in Arizona at the State Farm Stadium on Sunday (21 September).