HOOVER, ALABAMA: Candace Owens has made some scathing remarks about Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who was reported missing and later returned home. Owens asserted on her podcast that Russell "traumatized an entire nation" with her account of being abducted.

The Hoover Police Department said that Russell claimed to have been kidnapped after stopping her car on Interstate 459 in Hoover, Alabama, to follow an unattended toddler, which she had reported to 911 before going missing. The authorities said in a press conference on Wednesday, Julu 19, that they could not verify Russell's claims. In response to the woman's case, Owens expressed her belief that she should face consequences for allegedly making a false report to the police and suggested that she "should spend some time in prison."

‘I didn't expect it to meet the level of Jussie Smollett absurdity’

In a YouTube video, Owens compared Russell's situation to that of Jussie Smollett, who was convicted in 2019 for making a false police report after staging a hate crime against himself. She said, "Because when you make false police reports, especially ones that become nationwide ... And it required people that were outside looking for her. It was a community effort trying to find her, people were scared. I mean, she traumatized an entire nation with this story."

Owens continued, "I didn't expect [Russell's] story to be this bad. I didn't expect it to meet the level of Jussie Smollett absurdity ... I thought she was a Jussie Smollett, maybe 2.0. No, this girl took Jussie Smollett to the max."

'This is 10x worse than Jussie Smollet'

Owens had tweeted, "The #CarleeRussell story has just fallen a part gloriously. This is 10x worse than Jussie Smollet. Absolutely wild to google the movie “Taken” and “can I pay for an amber alert?” hours before you abduct yourself. I AM DONE." Netizens too have supported the commentator.

One user wrote, "Wait tell she finds out she has to pay for the ambulance. Prob should’ve googled that one." Another penned,"Omg how much money has this scammer collected?"

A third user tweeted, "You are a grifting Liar. Have you given back the money you got fro your lawsuit against your school district when you sued for discrimination?"

Another tweeted, "U know I really was trying my best to give this girl grace and defended her on numerous occasions becuz I really don’t get the state of mind a person has to be in to do mess like this….but she shammed herself & family she owes the public an apology."