Candace Owens and Nick Shirley are now in a public back-and-forth after Shirley responded to her criticism of his Brazil gang documentary during a recent podcast appearance. The debate started months ago when Owens questioned how the young content creator was able to enter dangerous Brazilian favelas and film alleged gang members so quickly. Now, Shirley has answered back, and Owens is doubling down on her claims that his story does not fully add up. The argument picked up again after Nick Shirley appeared on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast on May 7, 2026. During the interview, Shirley was asked about support and criticism he has received from conservative media personalities. He mentioned Candace Owens and said she previously doubted his reporting from Brazil. Shirley then took a shot at podcasters and suggested some people should “leave their podcast studios” and “do journalism” before criticizing his work.
That comment quickly caught Owens’ attention. Speaking on her Monday podcast, she said Shirley’s response made no sense to her and argued that real-life experience, not studio work, was the reason she questioned his claims in the first place. Owens said people who understand how dangerous those neighborhoods are would know the situation described in Shirley’s documentary sounded unrealistic without serious local help and connections.
