Turning Point USA communications director Candace Owens went on the defense Wednesday after rapper Kanye West rejected claims that he designed or created “Blexit” T-shirts.

Owens posted a link to a blog post on Twitter, apologizing to West for using his name while introducing the new product line last weekend.

“I never once said that Kanye designed the t-shirts for BLEXIT. This is a lie that seems to have made its way around the world; a lie I would like to again correct for the record. Kanye was completely right to feel used in that regard and as I have done personally, I would like to publicly apologize to him for any undue stress or pain the effort to correct that rumor has caused him, his business relationships, or his family. He simply never designed them,” Owens wrote.

West took to Twitter on Tuesday to clarify his involvement in the shirts after they were introduced Saturday at Turning Point USA’s Young Black Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

"My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!" he said.


The T-shirts were made to encourage black people to move from the Democratic Party. The word “Blexit” is a play off of “Brexit” in the United Kingdom.

Owens was quoted by Page Six on Saturday saying the logo and colors of the T-shirts were created by West. However, in an interview with Breitbart, Owens stressed that she had only consulted West about the "X" in the design while she was still working on the idea. The report says that West put her in contact with a designer and that after her conversation with West, she took a trip to Africa to find inspiration.

In a tweet Monday, Owens blamed the media for misinterpreting her remarks, calling the "Blexit" project "entirely" her own.

West visited the White House earlier this month wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, to discuss prison reform and other issues with President Trump and Jared Kushner.