Political commentator Candace Owens alleged that Turning Point USA faked its All-American Halftime Show’s viewer numbers.

Taking to X on Sunday, February 8, after the right-wing organization founded by Charlie Kirk aired its own halftime show during Super Bowl 2026, Owens, 36, argued that the 5 million viewers it claimed to draw live across its social media platforms was not accurate.

Commenting on an earlier X post that captured a YouTube account’s viewer numbers at just under 6,000, Owens wrote, “The problem with people who have a lot of money they didn’t earn, is that they tend to have no idea how stuff actually works.”

She continued in her second X post, “We have an organization that scammed its views by paying platform advertisers, followed by influencers to pretend they broke records.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Turning Point USA for comment.

Earlier in the evening, Blake Neff, who produced The Charlie Kirk Show before the politician’s September 2025 assasination and helped stage Turning Point USA’s halftime show, wrote via X, “TPUSA All-American Halftime Show … Over 5 million simultaneous on TPUSA YT [YouTube]. Almost 1 million on Charlie Kirk’s YT. 200k on Magno News YT. 220k on TPUSA Rumble. 15k CK Rumble.”

The post continued, “The entire audience on RAV. And noticeably, the audience kept going up throughout the competing show.” (Neff referred to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl 2026 Halftime Show.)

Owens’ thoughts on Turning Point USA’s halftime performance were accompanied by her thoughts on Bad Bunny’s show, revealing that she did not approve of either. “I am sorry but I hate both options,” she declared.

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Of Bad Bunny’s performance, she wrote, “We have a haltime show presented without a word of English spoken,” before she concluded, “The left vs.right grift is actually boring now. What exactly are we doing here, America?”

Owens, who worked as a communications director for Turning Point USA from 2017 to 2019, forged a friendship with Charlie before his death at age 31. The pair met in 2017 while embarking on their individual political careers. Despite their camaraderie, Owens did not share the same fondness for Charlie’s wife, Erika Kirk, in the aftermath of Charlie’s death.

Owens spoke publicly about her belief that Tyler Robinson, who was arrested for Charlie’s death, was wrongfully accused.

Months later, Owens published a leaked conference call recording of Erika, 37, that was allegedly recorded 12 days after Charlie’s death. In the audio, Erika appeared to be praising members of the Turning Point USA team for their recent successes. (A spokesperson for Owens told Us Weekly at the time that the video was “real and authenticated.”)

Owens said of the recording, “We are not even two weeks after watching your husband be assassinated. We’re talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit.”

Erika, who has taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA and also serves as a chairwoman for the organization since Charlie died, publicly condemned the recording’s release while publicly stating that she wanted Owens to stop peddling conspiracy theories about Charlie’s death.

The pair’s tension led to a December 2025 meeting between Erika and Owens. While details of the meeting were not publicly revealed, both parties took to their individual X accounts in the aftermath to label their four-and-a-half-hour discussion “productive.”

Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole, referenced his romance with Taylor Swift in a new Super Bowl commercial.

The influencer and podcaster, 34, appeared alongside Tiffany Haddish and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Ben Simmons in a big game spot for betting app Sleeper. The ad featured Haddish and Simmons as “ex-communicators” vowing to help clients get over “high-profile relationships.”

Dubbing themselves “emotional injury specialists,” Haddish and Simmons said, “We will confront your ex so you don’t have to.”

The clip then jumped to testimonials from celebrities including Nicole, Cardi B’s ex Offset and Love Island USA’s Ace Greene, who were enlisted to attest to the duo’s services. It seems results were mixed.

“Don’t get me started on these two. They have no idea what they’re doing. At all,” Nicole said, while a name card described her as the “ex of a certain NFL player.”

Later in the clip, Nicole said, “Simmons & Haddish promised me they could put an end to this whole ex-girlfriend fiasco quickly.”

The camera then cut to Simmons, who responded, “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Rapidly,” Nicole retorted.

Simmons replied, “That’s not what I said.”

“OK, pronto,” Nicole said.

Simmons then dropped a reference to Kelce’s now-fiancée, telling Nicole, “I said swiftly. Why is that so hard to remember?”

Nicole and Kelce, 36, dated on and off from 2017 to 2022. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end moved on with Swift, also 36, the following year, and the couple announced their engagement in August 2025.

Related: Travis Kelce and Ex-Girlfriend Kayla Nicole: The Way They Were

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Joe Scarnici/Getty Images Travis Kelce and Kayla Nicole went through several relationship ups and downs before splitting for good in 2022. The exes dated on and off for five years after Nicole kicked things off by sending him an Instagram DM in 2017. “He had been following me and insta-flirting for a few months,” she […]

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” the couple captioned a joint Instagram post showing Kelce getting down on one knee and proposing to Swift.

Kelce’s father, Ed Kelce, later shared the proposal took place two weeks before the stars announced their engagement publicly.

“Travis actually did the proposal, oh, maybe two weeks, not quite two weeks ago,” Ed told ABC affiliate News 5 Cleveland at the time. “He was going to put it off till this week … but he was going to put her off till this week to, you know, make some grand thing, to make it a big, special event.”

Ed continued, “And I told him repeatedly, you know, you could do it on the side of the road, do it any place that makes it a special event … when you get down on one knee and ask her to marry you.”

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During an October 2025 appearance on The Graham Norton Show in the U.K., Swift said Kelce did a great job with his sweet proposal.

“He really crushed it in surprising me. While we were talking on his podcast, he had a complete garden built out the back of his house to propose in,” she said. “He went all out — 10 out of 10.”

Swift sang her fiancé’s praises during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that same month.

“He’s just my favorite person I’ve ever met — no offense to everyone else. But the fact that this is the person that I get to hang out with every day forever … that’s the whole thing of it,” she said. “You look at [the ring] and you’re like, ‘I get to hang out with him forever,’ and this represents that.”

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Although Taylor Sheridan began his career as an actor, audiences today know him best for his screenwriting, particularly his modern take on the Western, such as the hit drama Yellowstone. The Yellowstone universe continues to expand—it’s already led to two spinoffs, with more in the works, including the forthcoming The Madison. In addition to his TV work, Sheridan is also known for his film career, which includes his “Modern America Frontier” trilogy of Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River.

Sheridan hasn’t just found success with Yellowstone, however. His other dramas, such as Mayor of Kingstown, have also been praised by fans and critics alike. Similar themes can be found throughout his work, most notably that of family dynasties, but no matter the story, Sheridan has proven his ability to tell compelling stories centered around a particular place. Taken together, his television projects form a sprawling body of work that reflects a clear creative voice that continues to keep his fans excited.

9

‘The Last Cowboy’ (2019–Present)

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In the competition docuseries The Last Cowboy, a number of contestants train horses in reining by guiding them through a series of obstacles, all leading up to the Run for a Million. The arena-based competition, created by Sheridan in 2019, sees the riders competing to win $1 million. The series also highlights professional trainers, judging criteria, and the rigorous preparation required to compete at the highest level of the sport.

Sheridan is practically regarded as a modern-day cowboy thanks to his work in neo-Westerns, so it’s no surprise that he took elements of the genre to the world of reality TV. While that means The Last Cowboy is not as heavy on the drama and twists as his scripted series, it still provides an interesting inside look at the world of reining competitions and the work it takes to successfully train a horse and win the prize.

8

‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ (2023–Present)

Image via Paramount+

Set just after the Civil War, Lawmen: Bass Reeves tells the story of one of the first Black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi River, Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo), who began life enslaved. Lawmen is based on a true story of Reeves, who was responsible for arresting thousands of criminals and became one of the most respected lawmen of his era. The series traces Reeves’ rise as he enforces the law across dangerous and largely ungoverned territory.

Oyelowo is fantastic as he introduces modern audiences to Reeves and helps convey what he accomplished in his storied career—although Lawmen doesn’t quite live up to its immense potential. With its Western setting and plot, it’s no wonder Sheridan is involved; the series is distinctly separate from the Yellowstone universe, even though it fits right in. The themes will also be familiar to Sheridan fans, particularly the theme of justice.

7

‘Special Ops: Lioness’ (2023–Present)

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CIA operative Joe (Zoe Saldaña) balances her personal and professional lives in the spy thriller Special Ops: Lioness in her work as a leader of the Lioness program in the war on terror. Nicole Kidman also stars as Joe’s boss, Kaitlyn Meade, and also features Morgan Freeman. The series is based on an actual military program, drawing inspiration from real-world operations in which female operatives are embedded undercover to gather intelligence in places male agents cannot easily access.

Lioness unsurprisingly won fans over quickly. It’s an engaging, fast-paced series, and similar to Sheridan’s other work, the show features plenty of high-stakes twists. For the most part, however, it stands out as a very different show, leaning more heavily into modern espionage and global politics than the frontier-style power struggles that define much of Sheridan’s other work. But with a female-centered story, it still presents something different from familiar espionage plots.

6

‘Tulsa King’ (2022–Present)

Image via Paramount+

After 25 years in prison, New York mafia boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) is released and sent to Tulsa, where he begins to build a new criminal empire in Tulsa King. Cut off from his old power base, Dwight recruits local allies and expands his operation while navigating unfamiliar territory and rival interests.

Tulsa King has been a fan favorite and has continued Sheridan’s trend of creating beloved dramas, and it also continues his trend of interesting characters and moral ambiguity. Dwight’s great all on his own, and the show’s villains only make things better. The show also features the same grit that can be found in much of Sheridan’s other work. Stallone’s commanding presence anchors the series and gives it a distinct tone within Sheridan’s broader television slate.

5

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ (2021–Present)

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Crime drama Mayor of Kingstown stars Jeremy Renner as the fixer and head of the McLusky family—who run Kingstown’s prison system—and tries to keep the peace in town. His role places him at the center of negotiations between inmates, law enforcement, gangs, and politicians, all while violence threatens to erupt at any moment. Sheridan co-created the series with Hugh Dillon, who also draws on his own experiences to help shape the show’s tone.

Mayor of Kingstown’s focus on the prison system in particular allows it to take a close look at issues such as systemic racism, corruption and more, including the problems inherent with the prison system functioning as a business. The show features intense storylines and interesting characters, or, as Renner himself puts it, “everyman characters in extraordinary circumstances.” Like some of Sheridan’s other projects—most notably Yellowstone—the series also deals with family dynamics, especially when business is involved.

4

‘1923’ (2022–Present)

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1923 follows the Dutton family—here, Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren)—into the 20th century with all the challenges the era brings, from the Depression to Prohibition and more, all while the ranch faces problems of drought, cattle theft, and more. The family must also fend off rival ranchers and powerful figures trying to take control of their land. Like 1883, the series is narrated by Elsa Dutton (Isabel May).

While not as interesting as 1883 or Yellowstone, 1923 tells an entertaining story in its own right. By being set in a different era, the series is open to numerous storytelling possibilities, which it takes full advantage of while also moving ever closer to the current generation of the Dutton family. Ford and Mirren deliver the exact stellar performances audiences have come to expect of them, and they’re a delight to watch as they set the stage for the Dutton family to come.

3

‘Landman’ (2024–2025)

Image via Paramount+

If there’s one state that Taylor Sheridan is very familiar with, it’s Texas, especially West Texas; and what’s not to like about the rugged, beautiful land? This land serves as the backdrop for Landman, which is based on the Boomtown podcast produced by the state magazine, Texas Monthly. Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), an oil “Landman” for a large oil company, not from round’ those parts, who comes to the oilfields of West Texas to investigate a deadly accident.

Landman showcases just how far oil companies are willing to go to cover up accidents at the expense of the public. As Tommy digs deeper, he uncovers corporate corruption, dangerous shortcuts, and mounting pressure from executives determined to protect profits at all costs. Not only is the story gripping, but the cast, which includes Demi Moore in a standout role as Cami Miller, is what truly makes Landman a must-watch and one of Sheridan’s best.

2

‘1883’ (2021)

Image via Paramount+

As the first spinoff of Yellowstone, prequel miniseries 1883 followed an earlier generation of the Dutton family as they left behind poverty in Texas in the years after the Civil War and joined a wagon chain heading for Oregon. The family ultimately settled in Montana and began what would become John Dutton’s ranch in Yellowstone. James and Margaret Dutton were played by real-life country music couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

1883 was one of the strongest of Sheridan’s shows, especially among the others in the Yellowstone universe. Its more focused approach to storytelling made it easier to care about the characters and what they accomplished, on top of being a fascinating look at the beginnings of the Dutton family and the way we know them today. The series also featured Tom Hanks in a memorable cameo during a flashback sequence.

1

‘Yellowstone’ (2018–2024)

Image via Paramount

Neo-Western drama Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton family, who controls the largest ranch in the United States and is often in conflict with everyone from land developers to neighboring Native American tribes because of it. Those battles force the family to defend their land through political pressure, legal fights, and outright violence.

Yellowstone was a huge success for Sheridan, turning into one of the most-watched cable dramas of its era and cementing his place as a dominant force in television.. The compelling series kept viewers hooked with plenty of twists and turns, not to mention plenty of drama from the Dutton family, and while the family’s exploits can sometimes get a little over-the-top, they’re still entertaining to watch. Yellowstone is also notable for its gorgeous scenery, practically a character in itself. Taken as a whole, Yellowstone stands as Taylor Sheridan’s best and most defining work to date.

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Yellowstone

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Release Date

2018 – 2024

Network

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Paramount Network

Directors

Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan, Christina Alexandra Voros, Guy Ferland, John Dahl

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Alpine Ski Racer Picabo Street was in her early 20s when she scored her first Olympic metal at the Lillehammer Olympics back in 1994 — taking home the silver in the women’s downhill.

At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, she won the gold medal in the women’s Super-G (super-giant slalom) event — by the slimmest margin in Olympic alpine history, just 0.01 seconds.