Erika Kirk blasts Dave Chappelle over 'disgusting' Charlie Kirk jokeSameen Chaudhry, USA TODAYTue, November 10, 2026 at 12:45 PM UTC
Erika Kirk is calling out Dave Chappelle for making an insensitive joke about her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
The comedian didn't pull any punches about Kirk during his Nov. 7 "Karmageddon" show at Madison Square Garden, even going so far as to show no remorse about the manner in which the conservative activist died.
"It's scary being a public speaker," Chappelle said during his New York Comedy Festival stand-up act. "And I mean, look, ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered – and I shouldn't say this publicly, but … I feel better."
"I know I shouldn't say that, but it's just a feeling," he added.
Kirk's widow, Erika, reacted to the clip on X as it circulated online, calling Chappelle's comments "beyond disgusting" and criticizing the funnyman for treating "political assassination" and "the destruction of human life" as entertainment.
She also used her Nov. 8 X post to condemn "leftist" comedians, podcasters and commentators without naming Chappelle.
"My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives," she wrote. "A culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay. It threatens the very foundation of our country and the principles that hold our democracy together."
"You do not have to agree with someone's politics to recognize the value of their life," Erika continued. "This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates."
Dave Chappelle comments on Charlie Kirk, Saudi Arabia in new special
'I've Had It' podcast drew backlash, lost sponsors after laughing at Charlie Kirk's death
A day before Erika reacted to Chappelle, Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan, hosts of the podcast "I've Had It," apologized on Instagram for laughing at a separate joke about her husband during their Nov. 5 episode.
"It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret, and we apologize," they said in a statement before sharing that they pledged donations to "Everytown for Gun Safety," the nation's largest gun-violence prevention organization.
The fallout didn't stop with online criticism, as the podcast has since lost at least 10 sponsorships, Newsweek reported Nov. 9. Among the sponsors that allegedly severed ties with the podcast were Cash App, Zenni Optical, Chewy and Casper.
Kirk was 31 when he was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. At 18, he cofounded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, which Erika now serves as CEO and board chair.
What has Dave Chappelle said about Charlie Kirk?
Three months after the shooting, Chappelle questioned comparisons between Kirk and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his Netflix special "The Unstoppable." He imagined King delivering a speech online, complete with a pitch to viewers to like and subscribe.
"And the whites were quick to say this. They said, 'Charlie Kirk is this generation's Martin Luther King.' No, he's not. Yeah, that's a reach. You know, they both got murdered in a terrible fashion. They both got shot in the neck, but that's about where those similarities end," he said.
Chappelle also admitted he "was shook" by the shooting, as someone who speaks to crowds for a living.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Erika Kirk blasts Dave Chappelle over 'disgusting' Charlie Kirk joke
Source: Entertainment
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