Stars & Comedians Who Have Publicly Slammed Erika Kirk

This article contains references and quotes related to racism and anti-semitism.

Prior to September 10, 2025, Erika Kirk was known mainly as the wife of the conservative speaker and Turning Point USA CEO, Charlie Kirk. But when Charlie was publicly murdered that September, Erika's life changed forever. Not only did she lose her partner, but she also took over his organization and inherited much of the debate that surrounded both Charlie and Turning Point USA.

During his lifetime, Charlie generated controversy, particularly surrounding his comments on race and gender. In 2024, he famously told his audience on "The Charlie Kirk Show" podcast that he would doubt the qualifications of a Black pilot, stating, "If I see a Black pilot, I'm going to be like, boy, I hope he's qualified." He was also known for his willingness to speak to people of different viewpoints, traveling to university campuses to debate students from all over the U.S. This put Charlie at the center of many public arguments — a position that Erika would seemingly step into following his death.

Erika's role as Charlie's replacement has cast a spotlight on the widow's own views. Her opinion that women should aspire to get married and have kids — rather than pursue careers — has generated controversy of its own. Since stepping into her new role at Turning Point USA, Erika has been slammed by celebrities, comedians, and even conspiracy theorists.

If Erika Kirk has ruffled a few feathers here and there, it's fair to say that nobody seems as affected by Charlie Kirk's widow as Candace Owens. Since Charlie died in September 2025, Owens has targeted Erika dozens of times, going so far as to peddle conspiracy theories about her. In a YouTube series titled "Bride of Charlie," the former political commentator at The Daily Wire dedicated several episodes to amplifying rumors about Erika.

The CEO of Turning Point USA has publicly called for Owens to cease all commentary regarding her. In a CBS town hall in December 2025, moderated by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, Erika made her response to Owens public. "Stop. That's it. That's all I have to say. Stop," she implored. However, the political commentator didn't let up.

In a March 2026 video dedicated to Erika's time volunteering in Romania, Owens questioned the widow's university credentials. Referencing Erika's choice to enroll in Arizona State University for her senior year of college, Owens commented, "Nobody knows how, but she is able to then graduate ... She has the same thing her mother had: Slips and falls, becomes a genius, and is able to manage this double major" (via YouTube). Owens has shown no signs of complying with Erika's request to stop promoting unverified claims. Indeed, Candace Owens has had plenty of legal issues related to defamation over the years, and has rarely backed down on her conspiracy theories.

Podcaster Jennifer Welch has gone on the record about her feelings regarding Erika Kirk, and they are not exactly complimentary. Speaking on the "I've Had It" podcast in December 2025, Welch went on a full-blown rant about Erika's criticism toward women who choose their careers over family. "You are an opportunistic grifter who weaponizes your gender to demean women," Welch said. The podcast host then went on to label Erika "a female hypocrite" who had no issues earning money by rather ironic means of encouraging women to stay home. As the CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika is believed to have taken over the salary of almost $286,000 per year that Charlie Kirk earned in the role, according to ProPublica.

While Welch may have been accurate in pointing out that Erika does, in fact, work, the podcaster upset a lot of Turning Point USA fans with her rhetoric. In the view of many, Welch's criticism came too soon after Charlie's death. Some worried that the podcast might upset his widow, but Erika appeared to hold her head high amid the flurry of opinions sparked by Charlie's death. Referencing her critics in the caption of a photo montage shared on Instagram, Erika wrote, "Their words, accusations, assumptions, and slander don't land, they don't burn. Never will. I owe the world nothing."

Some public figures have such a huge problem with Erika Kirk that they don't even want to be friends with anyone who has associated with her. That's how comedian Chelsea Handler apparently felt, particularly after Nicki Minaj began to get cozy with the newly-minted Turning Point USA CEO. In December 2025, Minaj surprised her fans by sitting down for an interview with Erika at the conservative conference AmericaFest. Minaj went on the record to declare Erika, and apparently herself, invariably "cool." The star said, "We're the cool kids. The other people, they're the ones who are still just disgruntled, but really they're just disgruntled with themselves" (via LiveNow from Fox). 

Handler apparently took issue with Minaj's budding friendship with Erika, and joined the list of celebrities who can't stand Nicki Minaj since becoming a MAGA. Soon after Erika and Minaj's sit-down, Handler expressed her feelings at the Critics' Choice awards, but used racism to make her point. "'Sinners' was a massive Blockbuster," Handler said with reference to the hit film. "Although, I haven't been invited into a Black person's house since — except Nicki Minaj's, but who wants to go over there?" Following these comments, Handler was judged harshly by viewers of the award show, who condemned the comedian's words as racist. This was not the first time Chelsea Handler was called out for unhinged behavior. 

Although Erika Kirk has gained fame for her connections to the MAGA movement, she has failed to secure support across the conservative spectrum. Many right-leaning public figures have taken issue with Charlie Kirk's widow, including the conservative comedian, JP Sears. In a video shared with his 3 million YouTube subscribers, Sears mocked Erika's reaction to Charlie's death. "I don't know," he quipped. "I mean, I just think it's normal for a widow to display vast amounts of attention and power-seeking behavior and lie about dating people before she was married."

A few days later, Sears shared a second video on YouTube where he made jokes about Erika becoming the CEO of Turning Point USA after Charlie died. "She has no background in leading significant nine-figure organizations. Her background is seeking fame through reality TV shows and beauty pageants," he said with apparent reference to Erika's appearance on "Summer House" and her Miss Arizona USA title.

When Sears came under fire for his comments about Erika, he defended his position in a video that was later shared on X. Referencing the people who were, in his words, "crucifying me," Sears said, "They are ... Israel-first conservatives relative to America-first conservatives. Or, 'Zionists' is another way to say this." While Sears may have hoped that his explanation would appease his fans, it only generated more controversy, with many critics calling him out for anti-semitism.

Erika Kirk has not been shy about sharing her opinions regarding motherhood. The mother of two has been enthusiastic about encouraging others to embark on motherhood journeys of their own, but she has not necessarily been supportive of women who choose not to have children. In a conversation with The New York Times, Erika suggested that career-focused women "look to the government as a solution to put off having a family or a marriage because you're relying on the government to support you instead of being united with a husband."

This attitude was not received well by working women, including Christine Quinn of "Selling Sunset." The television personality noted that Erika's perspective seemed odd for a woman who has embarked on several book and publicity tours in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death. Writing on X, Quinn pointed out this incongruence, quipping, "Erika Kirk be everywhere but with her kids." One X user then responded to Quinn's post to comment that Erika was doing the "complete opposite" of the Turning Point USA stance that women need to "stay at home and raise kids." Quinn replied in agreement, writing, "THIS."

After Charlie Kirk died, Erika Kirk and JD Vance sparked affair rumors after footage of them circulated sharing an intimate hug at a Turning Point USA event. Political watchers reeled at the sparks flying between the pair, and journalist Joy Reid couldn't help but share her views, as well. 

Speaking on the "I've Had It" podcast, Reid wondered if JD would leave his wife, Usha Vance, to embark on a relationship with Erika Kirk. Referencing the accusations of racism that have plagued the MAGA movement, Reid asked, "Wouldn't it be the most perfect MAGA fairytale if he finally sees the light that he needs a white queen, instead of this Brown Hindu?"

Speaking in the same podcast, Reid also shared her view that JD could never take over Donald Trump's position in the MAGA world because of white Christian nationalists' potential perceptions of Usha. "They can't have the successor to MAGA be the guy with the Brown Hindu wife," she said. "They're also Christian nationalists. That ain't gonna work." Reid then wondered to what extent Usha was on-board with JD and Erika's tense moment of public affection. "That's why he's throwing his wife under the bus. Poor Usha. Or she's in on it," the journalist suggested. Ultimately, there have been lots of rumors about Erika Kirk following Charlie Kirk's death, and her relationship with JD Vance is just one of them.

Following Charlie Kirk's death, comedians have been slammed for making jokes about the late orator and his widow, Erika Kirk. This dynamic, however, did not stop comedian Michelle Wolf from cracking jokes about the couple. "Charlie Kirk, he's not with us anymore, and you can't make fun of him. Do not make fun of him," Wolf said in a video shared on Instagram. "Now, Erika Kirk, she's on a grief-a-palooza dressed like the lead singer on some cruise ship cover band," the comedian added, referencing some of Erika Kirk's fashion choices. As if she needed to clarify the fact that she was making fun of Erika, Wolf quipped, "That was not, in fact, a compliment."

Interestingly, though, Wolf went on to say that it wasn't fair that comedians could laugh at Erika without facing career-ending repercussions, but not Charlie. In her view, the fact that Erika jokes have been much better received than Charlie jokes just goes to show the sexism of the comedy world. "It's just that Charlie is untouchable, and Erika you can make fun of her, and I can't help but think that it's because she's a woman," Wolf said. The comedian then noted that she had no plans to stop making fun of Erika — and what she viewed as the widow's "raccoon" makeup — she just wanted to be able to tell a joke or two about Charlie, as well.