In the week since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking engagement in Utah, people from all walks of life have paid tribute to the late pundit.
Of course, Kirk was a controversial figure in life, and as a result some of those who have spoken out since his death have found themselves on the receiving end of some very harsh criticism.
One such celebrity is beloved actress and Broadway icon Kristin Chenoweth.
Like Kirk, Chenoweth is a devout Christian, and she shared her sorrow at his passing on her social media pages.
“Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives,” Chenoweth wrote. “What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven. But still.”
Kristin has a massive LGBTQ following, many of whom were appalled that she would align herself with an outspoken critic of gay marriage and trans rights.
On Thursday, Chenoweth discussed that response in an interview with NY1’s Frank DiLella.
The interviewer pointed out that Chenoweth has a “big LGBTQ+ fan base,” and he asked what she hoped to “convey” by posting about her “heartbreak” over Kirk, who “openly opposed same-sex marriage [and] trans rights.”
When DiLella noted that Kristin’s comments received “mixed reactions,” she replied, “Mixed? You’re being kind.”
Kristin immediately teared up and apologized that her “emotions [were] getting involved.”
“I saw what happened online with my own eyes and I had a human moment of reflection right then,” she said, referring to the widespread video of Kirk’s shooting.
“I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks and that hurt me so badly. I would never,” Chenoweth acknowledged, adding:
“It’s no secret that I’m a Christian, that I’m a person of faith. It’s also no secret that I am an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and for some, that doesn’t go together. But for me, it always has and it always will.”
Other stars, including Amanda Seyfried, have come under fire for condemning Kirk’s rhetoric in the days after his death.
“I can get angry about misogyny and racist rhetoric and ALSO very much agree that Charlie Kirk’s murder was absolutely disturbing and deplorable in every way imaginable,” Seyfried wrote on Instagram this week in response to the criticism she received.
“No one should have to experience this level of violence. This country is grieving too many senseless and violent deaths and shootings. Can we agree on that at least?”
The debate over Kirk’s views and rhetoric will no doubt rage on in the months to come.
Our thoughts go out to his loved ones during this enormously difficult time.