Erika Kirk Faces Fierce Backlash Over Tribute Marking One Year Since Husband Charlie's Assassination: 'The Nerve You Have to Post This'
Erika Kirk's tribute to her late husband was met with criticism.
Sept. 11 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
Erika Kirk's tribute to her late husband, Charlie Kirk, has received brutal backlash, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Turning Point USA leader posted a photo on Instagram, writing "...until Heaven" in text across the post, one year after her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated on a Utah university campus.
Erika Kirk's Tribute to Charlie Kirk Falls Flat
Erika Kirk posted a photo of the pair hand-in-hand.
The photo was cropped close to Erika and Charlie's hands on their wedding day. Erika donned a white gown, which featured a mermaid-style skirt, and a long veil. Her husband, Charlie, wore a black suit as he grasped her hand.
She didn't caption the post other than the on-photo text. However, the comments were left unrestricted, and critics took full advantage.
"The nerve you had to post this," one person remarked, referencing concerns among critics about Erika's reaction to Charlie's death over the past year.
Another added, Ohhh honey… not sure you're gonna make it to heaven," and a user noted, "Heaven? You think you will enter the gates of heaven?"
Conspiracy Theories Continue to Bloom
Conspiracy theorists flooded her comments with their own allegations.
Some people took the opportunity to further peddle a conspiracy theory that Erika was involved in the attack that took Charlie's life. "She was in on it," one critic claimed in the comments section, as another accused, "You set him up, though."
While there's no proof to point to Erika as a culprit, the conspiracy, bolstered largely by skepticism of authorities' reports from Candace Owens, has spread widely among critics.
Erika previously asked the public to stop with the theories, emphasizing she had no part in Charlie's death. However, she received criticism for her response, including dramatic, glamorous appearances at public speaking events.
Charlie Kirk Honored by Close Friend Candace Owens
Candace Owens' tribute to Charlie Kirk was warmly received by her admirers.
Owens' conspiracies about Charlie's death were paired with deep devastation for the conservative commentator, as the pair were close friends.
Her reaction to his death, including her own tribute, was compared to Erika's approach. "Candace just showed more emotion towards Charlie in 30 minutes on her show than you have the past year… don’t even," said one person.
Owens posted a 30-minute video to YouTube, saying, "Our world, and certainly my world, is never going to be the same."
She shared memories of Charlie and included journaling she did to process his death. In some of the snippets, she addressed them to her late friend.
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Candace Owens Critiques Erika Kirk's Speech
Owens bashed Erika Kirk's speech about her late husband.
In addition to her Instagram post, Erika spoke at a memorial for the podcaster. In part, she said, "Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business. And I will miss him. I will miss him so much because our marriage and our family were beautiful. They still are."
She concluded, "Charlie's life was a turning point for this country. It was a miracle. Let that miracle that was Charlie's life be your turning point as well. Choose prayer, choose courage, choose beauty, choose adventure, choose family. Choose a life of faith. Most importantly, choose Christ. I love you, Charlie, baby, and I will make you proud. God bless you all, and God bless America."
However, Owens herself took a deep swipe at Erika's on-stage comments. “Certain things that I now see with very clear eyes, like her speech, like you said at the memorial, Erika actually doesn't really tell you anything about Charlie in that speech," she said while speaking on the Shawn Ryan Show.
