Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth has broken her silence after her fans bashed her for comments she posted mourning Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Chenoweth, who gained fame starring as Galinda in the original Broadway cast of Wicked, has a large LGBTQ+ fan base and has advocated vocally for gay rights.
She has combined her deep Christian faith with gay rights, while Kirk was a loud voice who cited religion for opposing same-sex marriage and transgender rights.
The Broadway star told Spectrum News NY1 that after hearing the backlash—specifically from the LGBTQ+ community—she realizes that her comments have caused pain.
“I saw what happened online with my own eyes,“ she told the outlet. ”And I had a human moment of reflection. Right then, I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks, and that hurt me so bad. I would never.”
She explained that she considers herself to be both a Christian and a voice for the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s no secret that I have been, that I’m a Christian, that I’m a person of faith,” she said. “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.”
She told Advocate magazine in 2024, “I don’t think it matters if it’s two men or two women or whatever. God loves us all the same.”
Chenoweth’s reflection comes after fans bashed her online for the wording she used while mourning Charlie Kirk.
Following Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, Chenoweth commented on Kirk’s last Instagram post, “I’m. So. Upset. Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven. But still.”
She ended her comment with a broken heart emoji.
Chenoweth then posted an Instagram story of a black screen with the words “Such a sad, senseless, and disgusting act! Wow…. prayers for the Kirk family and prayers for our nation.”
However, fans did not take too kindly to these posts, filling the Instagram comment section of her post with their unfiltered thoughts.
“What a huge middle finger to the people that love you,” one fan wrote.
“So what views did you share with kirk? the homophobia? the racism? the xenophobia? the zionism? the anti abortion ones? tell us kristin because we want to know,” another commented.
“Kristin, surely by now you know how much your comments have hurt your queer fans, the community you claim to love. Every minute that goes by that you stay silent perpetuates that hurt. Break your silence. Tell us you’re sorry. Tell us you weren’t aware of the hatred, fear and lies that Kirk spread about us. Say SOMETHING. But for God’s sake, take accountability for your words,” another expressed.
“kristin chenoweth being a charlie kirk supporter is disappointing to say the least,“ one user tweeted on X.
“Why the f— is Kristin Chenoweth saying Charlie Kirk is going to heaven???? And what views did you “appreciate,” Kristin???? WOMAN WHAT ???” another user tweeted.
In their interview, Spectrum News NY1’s Frank DiLella called fans’ response to Chenoweth’s comments on Kirk “mixed reactions,” to which Chenoweth laughed.
“Mixed, you’re being kind,” she said..
The post Kristin Chenoweth Responds to Backlash From LGBTQ+ Community After Publicly Grieving Charlie Kirk’s Death appeared first on The Daily Beast.
