Right-wing commentator Candace Owens doubled down on her and Kanye West’s defense for wearing controversial “White Lives Matter” T-shirts at an event the rapper and fashion designer hosted during the Paris fashion week.
According to New York Post, Owens touched on the controversy during her Daily Wire podcast. And besides coming at people who criticized the slogan on the T-shirts that they wore, Owens also mentioned Lizzo to buttress a claim she made.
The controversial pundit initially started by suggesting that Black Americans should rather worry more about abortion, “black-on-black” crime, education, and obesity. She then expatiated on the latter by making reference to the music star.
“You know what we should’ve done, we should’ve put a ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt on Lizzo,” Owens said. “Maybe we could have gotten a lot of attention about obesity and how it’s actually killing black Americans.”
Owens and West, who are known for stroking controversy, were called out on social media after photos that were circulated showed the two of them wearing “White Lives Matter” T-shirts at the Paris fashion week.
“There is a deep irony and a sad irony when you consider that wearing a t-shirt has led such a tremor throughout the world,” said Owens. “A t-shirt that says ‘White Lives Matters,’ which should be implied, right.
“White lives matter, black lives matter, Asian lives matter — it should be implied, yet people are angry and they are being vicious online because they can’t believe that we have the audacity to detract from the movement which is a lie: ‘Black Lives Matter.’”
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, West also doubled down on the controversy and called out the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it was a “scam.”
But Jaden Smith, who was at the rapper and fashion designer’s fashion show, tweeted that he actually left the event after he noticed the slogans on the shirts. He also expressed support for the Black Lives Matter cause.
“True Leaders Lead. I Don’t Care Who’s It Is If I Don’t Feel The Message I’m Out. Black Lives Matter. We Demand A More Progressive Future,” he shared in a series of Tweets.
Sports journalist Jemele Hill also tweeted that the slogan on the shirt was a “dangerously dumb message to send” – though people were suggesting it was for trolling or marketing purposes.
“So many folks are trying to excuse Kanye wearing a white lives matter t-shirt as just a troll move or marketing. Maybe it is,” she shared. “But it’s a dangerously dumb message to send for someone with his massive platform. I been off dude. But y’all go ahead labeling his foolishness as genius.”
