REPORT: Candace Owens Blindsided By Shocking Legal Move
In a surprising legal move, the Daily Wire obtained a gag order against its former host, Candace Owens, amidst public negotiations for a debate between Owens and Ben Shapiro on Israel and antisemitism. The news was first reported by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald.
Known for her outspoken demeanor, Candace Owens left the Daily Wire in March following disagreements over her criticisms of U.S. financing of Israel and her comments on Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which she termed “genocidal.” The events set the stage for a heated public exchange that was expected to culminate in a debate between Owens and Shapiro, a co-founder of the Daily Wire and a staunch supporter of Israel.
The debate was highly watched by the public, with both parties initially eager to engage in an open discussion on such a contentious topic. Shapiro even proposed to host the debate on his show, suggesting a no-moderator format. Owens, however, suggested prominent figures like Joe Rogan or Lex Fridman to moderate, aiming for a neutral platform. Despite these negotiations, the debate never materialized.
Sure, Candace. I texted you on February 29th offering this very thing.
Let’s do it on my show this Monday at 5pm at our studios in Nashville; 90 minutes, live-streamed. https://t.co/f4cRSJqz8L
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 5, 2024
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Behind the scenes, the Daily Wire was taking steps to legally prevent Owens from making any public comments that could be perceived as negative towards the company or Shapiro. According to Greenwald’s report, the gag order was sought through a private arbitrator, citing Owens’ social media activities and her public call for a debate as disparagement. The arbitrator sided with the Daily Wire, imposing a gag order that effectively bars Owens from criticizing or questioning the motives of Shapiro or the Daily Wire, thus stalling any plans for the debate.
Glenn Greenwald wrote:
But the debate was never going to happen. That is because the Daily Wire — in secret and unbeknownst to its readers — sought a gag order to be placed on Owens after she had called for a debate. They did this under the cover of secrecy, before a private arbitrator, at exactly the same time that they were claiming in public that they wanted this debate and were even negotiating the terms with her. To this date, the Daily Wire has not informed its readers, seeking to understand why the much-anticipated debate had not yet happened, that they had sought and obtained a gag order against Owens.
When seeking a gag order to be imposed on Owens, the Daily Wire accused her of violating the non-disparagement clause of her agreement with the company. To substantiate this accusation, the company specifically cited Owens’ initial tweet requesting a debate with Shapiro as proof of this disparagement, along with concerns she voiced that Shapiro appeared to be violating the confidentiality agreement between them by publicly maligning Owens’s views to explain her departure from the company. While the company claimed before the arbitrator that it did not object in principle to a “healthy debate,” it urged the imposition of gag order on Owens by claiming that the way she requested the debate constituted disparagement of Shapiro and the site.
For the very many of you who keep asking for an update regarding my debate with @benshapiro.
My team reached out immediately suggesting the first week I was back in the states. We were informed the proposed date could not work for Ben due to the holiday but have not heard back…
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 24, 2024
JP, in its request for a gag order against Owens, claimed she breached her contract’s non-disparagement clause according to the report. The company further supported its case for the gag order by pointing to several criticisms of both the Daily Wire and Shapiro on X, which Owens had endorsed by interacting with the post.
When reached for a statement to include in Greenwald’s article, Owens responded, “I wish I could comment on this but I can’t.” She also stated, “can neither confirm nor deny.”
Boreing said, “Your story is inaccurate to the point of being false,” but he did not identify any specific inaccuracies, nor did he refute that the Daily Wire had secured a gag order on Owens while simultaneously claiming to seek a debate with her. Boreing further noted, “I’m sure you can appreciate how fraught a high profile break-up like this is. For that reason, we are trying to resolve our issues with Candace privately.”
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