Jamie Lee Curtis breaks silence after fury over Charlie Kirk comment

The murder of Charlie Kirk shocked the world, leaving many grieving — including actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Speaking publicly about the tragedy, Curtis moved some with her empathy, but others criticized her comments. Now, she has addressed the backlash.

Shortly after Kirk’s death, Curtis shared her feelings on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. She noted that while she “disagreed with him on almost every point,” she still believed he was “a man of faith.”

Curtis became emotional as she continued: “I hope in that moment when he died that he felt connected to his faith. Even though I found his ideas abhorrent, I still believe he was a father, a husband, and a man of faith.”

She spoke through tears about the repeated viewing of traumatic events, including 9/11 footage and videos of Kirk’s shooting, highlighting the psychological impact of such images. “We don’t know enough about what that does to people,” she said.

Many praised Curtis for showing compassion toward someone with opposing political views, while others were upset, arguing that her words seemed to excuse Kirk’s controversial beliefs, including his stance against transgender rights, which is particularly sensitive to Curtis as a mother of a transgender daughter.

Addressing the criticism in a Variety interview, Curtis clarified that her words had been misinterpreted. She emphasized she was not praising Kirk personally but referring solely to his faith.

She added that in today’s polarized world, nuance is often lost: “You cannot hold two ideas at the same time…without being vilified for having a mind that can be contradictory.” Curtis’s statement seeks to reaffirm empathy while rejecting endorsement of Kirk’s views.