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Kristin Chenoweth has defended saying she was left “so upset” by right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
Kirk was fatally shot while hosting an event at Utah Valley University on 10 September, as he responded to a question about gun violence and mass shootings. He was 31.
His death has prompted widespread mourning and outrage from both sides of the political sphere.
Theatre star Chenoweth, known for playing Glinda in Wicked, wrote on social media in the wake of the news: “Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven. But still.”
Kirk was well known for his outspoken opinions on a number of hot-button political issues and openly opposed same-sex marriage and trans rights, denouncing what he called the “LGBTQ agenda”.
Chenoweth, who has a large LGBTQ+ fan base, became emotional when she was asked to defend her sadness over Kirk’s death by Frank DiLella on Spectrum News.
“I saw what happened online with my own eyes 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 badly,” she said.
“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.”
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Kristen Chenoweth has addressed backlash over her remarks about Charli Kirk’s death (Getty)
Kirk expressed opposition to same-sex marriage by suggesting that the Bible verse Leviticus 20:13, which endorses the execution of homosexuals, serves as “God’s perfect law when it comes to sexual matters.”
“I don’t agree with your lifestyle,” Kirk told a gay Wisconsin college student last September. “I don’t think you should introduce yourself just based on your sexuality because that’s not who you are.”
He also argued against gender-affirming care for transgender people and insisted there are only two genders, sporting a T-shirt at one Arizona rally last year that read: “xy = man.”
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Kirk was fatally shot while hosting an event at a Utah college (Getty Images)
More recently, he discussed the burning of Pride flags, writing on X (Twitter): “We should work to overturn every conviction for those arrested, fined, or otherwise harassed for the ‘hate crime’ of doing donuts over Pride flags painted on public streets.
“It should be legal to burn a rainbow or [Black Lives Matter] flag in public.”
Chenoweth is a Broadway star, winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in 1999.
She was nominated for her second Tony in 2003 for originating the role of Glinda in the hit musical Wicked. Her television roles include The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, Sesame Street and Glee.