Candace Owens was forced to respond after a shocking social media post falsely claimed she had died. The now-deleted message appeared on influencer Lilly Gaddis’ verified X account and was widely circulated online. Gaddis later said her account had been hacked, while Owens confirmed she was alive and dismissed the rumors. The incident put fresh attention on Gaddis, a conservative commentator whose online career has often been surrounded by controversy.
Who is Lilly Gaddis?
Lilly Gaddis is an American social media influencer, YouTuber and political commentator. She first gained national attention in 2024 when videos of her promoting traditional gender roles as a self-described “tradwife” went viral on TikTok.
Her rise took a dramatic turn when she posted a video containing a racial slur. The backlash was immediate. Gaddis lost her job, her TikTok account was eventually banned, and she became a highly debated figure online. Instead of stepping away from the spotlight, she moved to other platforms and built an audience around political and cultural commentary.
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Today, she hosts The Lilly Gaddis Show on YouTube and Rumble, where she discusses politics, race, gender issues, free speech and current events.
Lilly Gaddi’s connection to Candace Owens
Long before the death hoax incident, Candace Owens had helped introduce Gaddis to a larger audience. In 2024, Owens invited her onto an episode of her podcast following the TikTok controversy that made Gaddis a widely discussed figure.
During the interview, the two spoke about public backlash, free speech and the attention surrounding Gaddis. The appearance increased her visibility within conservative media circles. Over the next few years, Gaddis occasionally referenced Owens in posts and interviews, leading many followers to view them as part of the same online political space.
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What happened in the Candace Owens death hoax controversy?
On June 19, 2026, a post published from Gaddis’ verified X account claimed Owens had died under suspicious circumstances. The message also referenced the 2025 killing of Charlie Kirk and suggested there could be unanswered questions surrounding Owens’ supposed death.
The claim spread rapidly before being deleted. Soon after, Lilly Gaddis wrote, “My account is hacked. Working to fix it.”
She later alleged that a former contributor with account access may have been responsible. Owens then publicly confirmed she was alive and criticized the false reports.
