Kristin Chenoweth Defends Charlie Kirk Tribute Amidst LGBTQ+ Fan Backlash
Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth has responded to the criticism from her supporters following her homage to Charlie Kirk after his untimely passing.
The 57-year-old Chenoweth appeared with NY1's Frank DiLella for an interview on Thursday, September 18, during which DiLella noted that her social media message had garnered “mixed reactions.”
“Mixed? That's a generous way to put it,” she responded.
DiLella subsequently highlighted Chenoweth's substantial “LGBTQ+ fan base” and the fact that Kirk, a conservative political commentator, had “openly opposed same-sex marriage [and] trans rights.” The interviewer then inquired about the message the Broadway icon intended to “communicate” with her tribute.
Chris Martin, Jessie James Decker, and Others Express Grief Over Charlie Kirk's Passing at 31
“Oh my, I apologize if I get emotional, please bear with me,” she uttered, visibly holding back tears. “I witnessed the events online firsthand, and it prompted an immediate human moment of contemplation for me.”
Chenoweth went on to say, “I realized that my statement caused pain to some individuals, and that deeply saddened me. I would never intend that. It's well-known that I am a Christian, a person of belief. It’s also widely known that I champion the LGBTQ+ community, and for some, those two things seem incompatible. However, for me, they have always coexisted and always will.”
Kirk passed away at 31 years old on September 10, having been fatally shot during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University. He is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two offspring.
Following the announcement of Charlie’s demise, Chenoweth posted a memorial message on social media.
"I'm. So. Distraught.," she penned in the comments of an Instagram post from Turning Point USA in March. "While I didn't always concur, I valued certain viewpoints. Such a tragedy. His young family. I am certain of his current whereabouts. Heaven. Yet, it's still difficult."
Chenoweth wasn't the sole celebrity to comment on the death of the Turning Point USA cofounder. Chris Pratt, Josh Duhamel, Rosie O’Donnell, among others, offered their sentiments.
On Tuesday, September 16, Amanda Seyfried appeared to weigh in on Charlie’s death by posting a message on her Instagram Stories stating, “One cannot extend an invitation to violence and then be surprised when it consumes everything.”
Subsequently, she commented on an Instagram post by the @So.Informed account, stating, “He embodied hate.”
Seyfried then provided clarification regarding her remarks.
“My intention isn't to exacerbate the situation. I simply wish to provide insight into something that was so carelessly (yet comprehensibly) misinterpreted,” she shared on Instagram on Wednesday, September 17. “Engaging in lively discussion — isn't that our objective?”
The performer further stated that she can “feel outrage over misogyny and prejudiced language, and AT THE SAME TIME strongly concur that Charlie Kirk’s killing was utterly distressing by all measures.”
