Kirk finds Dave Chappelle’s joke about husband’s murder ‘beyond disgusting’

Erika Kirk, the widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, condemned comedians and political commentators for joking about political violence after Dave Chappelle said during a stand-up performance that he had been in a “good mood” since her husband’s assassination.

“To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting,” Erika Kirk wrote in a post on the social platform X .

She did not name Chapelle in her post on the social platform X, but criticized those who have made light of her husband’s killing.

“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 continued.

Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent ally of President Trump, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. He was 31.

“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,” his widow wrote on X. “You do not have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates.”

Chappelle made the remark Saturday during a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, according to footage circulating on social media.

“I feel f–ed up saying this. It’s scary being a public speaker,” Chapelle told the audience. “Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered — and I shouldn’t say this publicly — but, I feel better.”

Chapelle previously discussed Kirk’s killing in his Netflix comedy special The Unstoppable , released three months after the shooting. At the time, he said the assassination had shaken him as someone who also speaks publicly for a living.

“If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, Imma be honest,” he said. “I was shook.”