Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.
Stephen King has found himself in hot water after Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to him with a single-word comment.
The tragic death of activist Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves across the United States, prompting figures like former US President Barack Obama and ex-Vice President Kamala Harris, along with other prominent Democrats, to speak out against his assassination in Utah.
Public figures such as Jimmy Kimmel, Rosie O’Donnell, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have also shared their thoughts on the 31-year-old, who was tragically killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (September 10).
Political commentator and Fox News host Jesse Watters described Kirk as neither ‘controversial’ nor ‘polarizing’, stating: “Charlie was a PATRIOT… Rest in peace, my friend.”
In response to Watters’ message on X, author Stephen King commented: “He advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin.’”
This comment appears to reference a statement Kirk made after YouTuber Ms. Rachel invoked Leviticus 18 from the Bible as a reminder to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’.
Kirk had stated: “By the way Ms. Rachel, you might want to crack open that Bible of yours, in a lesser referenced part in the same part of scripture, is in Leviticus 18 is that ‘Thou shall lay with another man, shall be stoned to death.’ Just saying… [This chapter] affirms God’s perfect law when it comes to sexual matters.”
Elon Musk, age 54, quickly responded to King’s statement by simply writing ‘Liar’.
The 77-year-old author has since deleted his original post and issued an apology.
King wrote: “I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.”
The author of The Long Walk then addressed several messages, including one from Texas senator Ted Cruz, who criticized him as a ‘horrible, evil twisted liar’ after seeing the initial tweet.
“The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes. This is what I get for reading something on Twitter w/o fact-checking. Won’t happen again,” King responded.
Cruz acknowledged the apology and thanked King for removing the inaccurate post. He added: “All of us—on both sides of the aisle—should treat each other with respect & decency, even if we disagree on politics.
“Charlie did that every day, and I admired him for it.”
King’s latest comment on the situation reads: “One of the AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] principles, difficult to follow sometimes but worthwhile, comes in Step 10: ‘When we were wrong, we promptly admitted it.’”
In 2019, Kirk expressed: “I believe marriage is one man one woman.
“Also gay people should be welcome in the conservative movement,” he stated. “As Christians we are called to love everyone.”
An investigation into Kirk’s death is ongoing as police launched an extensive search for the individual responsible.
The FBI has identified and detained a leading suspect, 22-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson.
Authorities believe that the accused acted alone, using a bolt-action rifle from a nearby rooftop.
If you or someone you know is impacted by gun violence, you can find support through Survivors Empowered on their website.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available Monday to Friday 4pm-12am ET and 12pm-5pm ET on Saturdays.