(NewsNation) — Kristin Chenoweth has addressed the controversy around her comments regarding the death of right wing podcaster Charlie Kirk.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chenoweth, who’s starring in the Broadway musical “The Queen of Versailles,” said the backlash from her fans over saying she was upset over Kirk’s death “almost broke” her.
The “Wicked” star has commented under Kirk’s final Instagram post, writing, “I’m. So. Upset. Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak.”
Backlash followed her comment, especially from LGBTQ+ fans, who expressed that Kirk posed a danger to their community.
“I saw what happened (to Kirk) online with my own eyes, and I had a human moment of reflection. … It’s no secret that I’m an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community,” Chenoweth told NY1 in response to the controversy.
Jamie Lee Curtis: Charlie Kirk comments were mistranslated
The death of Kirk, who was the founder of conservative organization Turning Point USA, brought an outpouring of nationwide support but also intense criticism of his political stances.
Two days after Kirk’s death, Curtis was on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast, where she tearfully said she disagreed with him but praised him for being a man of faith.
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Actress Kristin Chenoweth gives the curtain speech on the stage of “Wicked” at the Gershwin Theatre Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, in New York. The show opened today after being closed due to Covid-19 concerns in early 2020. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) -
TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 05: Jamie Lee Curtis attends the premiere of “The Lost Bus” during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Olivia Wong/Getty Images) -
Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump’s arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“I’m going to bring something up with you just because it’s front of mind,” Curtis said. “I disagreed with him on almost every point I ever heard him say, but I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died that he felt connected to his faith.”
However, in an interview with Vulture, the Oscar winner attempted to clarify her statement, saying, “An excerpt of it mistranslated what I was saying as I wished him well, like I was talking about him in a very positive way, which I wasn’t. I was simply talking about his faith in God.”
Adding, “In the binary world today, you cannot hold two ideas at the same time: I cannot be Jewish and totally believe in Israel’s right to exist and at the same time reject the destruction of Gaza.”
“You can’t say that, because you get vilified for having a mind that says, ‘I can hold both those thoughts. I can be contradictory in that way,’” the “True Lies” actress said.
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