📷 First posted on Instagram
Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, spoke out on Sunday, November 8, condemning the comedians and commentators who have joked about her husband's assassination, after a video circulating online appeared to show Dave Chappelle telling a sold-out Madison Square Garden audience that he felt better since Kirk was murdered.
"To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it's entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting," Kirk wrote in a statement posted on X. "My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives."
She went on: "A culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay. It threatens the very foundation of our country and the principles that hold our democracy together." She closed her statement by saying: "You do not have to agree with someone's politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates."
The video at the centre of the row appeared to show Chappelle, performing at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, saying: "Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered... and I shouldn't say this publicly, but I feel better." The clip drew laughter and cheers in the room and spread quickly online on Sunday, drawing condemnation from conservative commentators.
Kirk's statement is the latest and most personal response in a backlash that has already drawn in Elon Musk, who wrote "Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle" on X, and commentator Benny Johnson, who said: "This isn't even comedy. It's just sick." The row has spread beyond Chappelle: Cash App ended its sponsorship of the "I've Had It" podcast after its hosts laughed at a joke about digging up Kirk's grave, and Turning Point USA condemned a TikTok trend using audio of the assassination in outfit-change videos.
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson has been charged with his murder. Erika Kirk has pressed for a speedy trial; Robinson's lawyers have asked for a trial date in 2029, and a judge has yet to decide.