TV, Film, and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth said fierce fan backlash over her tribute to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk “nearly broke” her.
“It was tough on me, but I’m not going to answer any questions about it because I dealt with it. It nearly broke me, and that’s all I’m going to say. You probably know my heart, so you probably know,” Chenoweth told the Hollywood Reporter on Monday.
The Wicked star was responding to a question from the magazine about the backlash she received from fans — who bizarrely accused her of betraying the LGBTQ+ community — for expressing her sorrow over the free speech martyr’s assassination. After Kirk’s assassination, Chenoweth commented on the Turning Point USA founder’s final Instagram post, writing, “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,” the actress added, before signing off with a broken-heart emoji.
Chenoweth reportedly declined to address the controversy over her Kirk tribute any further beyond acknowledging that it “nearly broke” her.
On September 20, ten days after Kirk’s assassination, Chenoweth responded to fan backlash during an interview with NY1’s Frank DiLella.
“Your post, Kristin, was met with mixed reaction,” DiLella said, to which the actress replied, “Mixed. You’re being kind.”
“I saw what happened online with my own eyes and I had a human moment of reflection right then,” an emotional Chenoweth continued. “I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks, and that hurt me so badly.”
“It’s no secret that I’m a Christian, that I’m a person of faith,” she added. “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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