Jamie Lee Curtis had an emotional reaction to the death of Charlie Kirk, despite denouncing his views.
During an appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, the 66-year-old actress fought back tears as she reflected on Kirk’s death, offering her thoughts on his deep faith, despite their differing political views.
Kirk, 31, was tragically shot and killed on September 10 while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University as part of his "American Comeback Tour."
The murder, which was captured on multiple camera angles, quickly went viral and launched an intense manhunt that led to the arrest of Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from St. George, Utah, on Friday.
Jamie Lee Curtis Reacts To Charlie Kirk's Death
During the podcast, Curtis, visibly moved, mistakenly referred to the late Kirk as "Charlie Crist," confusing his last name with that of a former politician.
Maron quickly corrected her, but Curtis explained that the mix-up was due to her association of the name "Crist" with "Christ" due to Kirk’s deep Christian faith.
“I’m going to bring something up with you just because it’s front of mind. Charlie Crist was killed two days ago,” Curtis said.
When Maron corrected her, Curtis responded: “I just call him Crist, I think, because of Christ, because of his deep belief.”
Although Curtis acknowledged their significant political differences, stating that she disagreed with Kirk on “almost every point,” she expressed admiration for his spirituality and faith.
Fighting back tears, Curtis said: “I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died that he felt connected to his faith.
"Even though I find what his ideas were abhorrent to me, I still believe he’s a father and a husband and a man of faith, and I hope whatever ‘connection to God’ means, that he felt it.”
Her heartfelt remarks echoed sentiments of empathy, despite their political divide. Curtis emphasized the importance of faith in Kirk’s life, wishing that he felt that connection during his final moments.
The actress also reflected on the societal impact of repeatedly witnessing traumatic events, particularly violent footage like that of Kirk’s execution, which has been viewed widely.
Curtis expressed concern over the long-term psychological effects of such repeated exposure.
“Yesterday was [the anniversary of] 9/11. I know there is video of his assassination. I know people who’ve seen it,” Curtis said, breaking down in tears.
“We are inured to them and we are numb to them, but they are in there. We don’t know enough psychologically about what that does. What does that do? Is that the case why we’re all feeling this lack of humanity – because we are just saturated with these images?”
Curtis called for more reflection on the psychological impact of violent content in the media, highlighting how repeated exposure may shape societal attitudes and emotions.
Outpouring of Reactions to Kirk’s Death from Public Figures
Curtis wasn’t the only celebrity to voice her thoughts on Kirk’s death. Many public figures have responded to the tragic event, with some offering condolences while others sparked controversy with their comments.
Horror author Stephen King faced backlash after tweeting that Kirk had advocated for stoning gays to death, per News.com.au.
This claim was quickly refuted by Kirk’s supporters, including U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who called King’s remarks “dishonest and full of hate.” Cruz wrote on social media: “You are a horrible, evil, twisted liar. No, he did not.”
In contrast, actor Chris Pratt, known for his devout Christian beliefs, called for prayer in the wake of Kirk’s death, offering support to his family.
Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel also shared his grief, condemning the senseless violence that led to Kirk’s death.
“Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?” Kimmel wrote on social media, sending his “love” to the Kirk family and other victims of gun violence.