Kristin Chenoweth admitted that the backlash she received for her reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death “almost broke my heart.”
“It was tough for me,” Chenoweth, 57, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Monday.
“But I’m not going to answer any questions about it, because I’ve dealt with it,” she told the outlet, adding, “It almost broke me, and that’s all I’m going to say. You probably know my heart, so you probably know too.”
The conservative commentator died on September 10 at the age of 31 after being shot on stage at Utah Valley University during his American comeback tour.
The actress expressed her sadness through the comments section of an Instagram post by Kirk’s nonprofit organization, Turning Point USA.
“I am so, so upset. I didn’t always agree, but I appreciated some points of view. How heartbreaking. His young family,” she wrote, referring to Charlie’s wife Erica Kirk and their two children. “I know where he is now. Heaven. Still.”
In an Instagram Story, she called the shooting a “sad, senseless and disgusting act” and asked her followers to “pray for the Kirk family.”
Chenoweth was just one of many celebrities to pay tribute to Kirk after his death, but faced harsh criticism for her comments as she was known for her anti-LGBTQ+ stances, a community that has always been a big part of the Broadway star’s fan base.
Chenoweth tearfully addressed the backlash to her Instagram comments a few days later in an interview with NY1’s Frank DiLella.
When a reporter brought up “mixed reactions,” the Tony Award winner responded, “Cons? You’re being kind.”
DiLella mentioned Chenoweth’s “huge LGBTQ+ fan base” and asked what she was “trying to convey” by posting about her “heartbreak” over Kirk, who “openly opposes same-sex marriage[and]transgender rights.”
She apologized for “getting emotional” during the interview and began to choke on her words before answering.
“I had a moment of reflection as a human being when I saw what happened online with my own eyes,” Chenoweth said, referring to the graphic footage of Kirk being shot.
“I’ve come to understand that my comments hurt some people and it hurt me deeply. I would never have done that,” she admitted.
“It’s no secret that I’m a Christian and a believer. It’s also no secret that I’m an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, but for some people that’s mutually exclusive. But for me, it always has been and always will be.”
