Candace Owens Explains Why She 'Will Always Defend' Ye With No Limits
Political commentator Candace Owens is doubling down on her support for friend and cultural lightning rod Ye West, despite the rapper's continued string of controversies and legal challenges.
During a recent appearance on The Jason Lee Show, the conservative firebrand offered a passionate defense of the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, painting him as a misunderstood figure whose struggles stem from unresolved trauma related to a disturbing incident involving his former trainer, Harley Pasternak.
'I will always love Ye,' Owens said during the interview. 'I will always defend him because I think he did one of the bravest things in speaking about what happened to him and the questions were never answered about what Harley Pasternak did to him that night.'
Owens was referring to a 2016 incident in which West was reportedly hospitalized after a series of erratic public appearances. Since then, Ye has shared text messages he claims were sent by Pasternak, which appear to show the celebrity trainer threatening to have him institutionalized.
Owens cited those messages as evidence of a larger issue, alleging that the incident was a pivotal moment in West's life that triggered much of his subsequent behavior.
'Kanye was Kanye then Harley Pasternak took him to his house and got an ambulance and had him drugged and admitted that in a text message,' Owens alleged. 'I have questions about what happened to Kanye.'
In one of the messages Ye released, Pasternak allegedly wrote: 'First, you and I sit down and have a loving and open conversation. You don't use cuss words and everything that is discussed is based in fact, and not some crazy stuff that dumb friend of yours told you, or you saw in a tweet.
Second option. I have you institutionalized again where they medicate the crap out of you, and you go back to Zombieland forever. Play dates with the kids just won't be the same.'
Owens' public loyalty to Ye comes amid renewed backlash against the rapper, who has faced mounting criticism for controversial social media posts, public outbursts, and recent legal allegations.
Despite the fallout, Owens remains firm in her belief that Ye's story has been misrepresented and his mental health unfairly weaponized.
Still, many critics argue that Owens' unwavering support overlooks the harm West's statements and actions have caused—particularly his remarks on race, religion, and gender—and say her defense fuels a pattern of excusing behavior that crosses ethical and legal lines.
Nevertheless, Owens continues to position herself as one of West's few remaining high-profile allies in the public sphere.
See Candace Owens' comments on Ye on the Jason Lee Show below.
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