Erika Kirk, the widow of the conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, has opened up about her journey through grief a little over a month after his passing.
Charlie Kirk was tragically killed on September 10 when he was shot during a talk he was giving at Utah Valley University, an event organized by his company, Turning Point USA. Tyler Robinson was apprehended as the suspect in the incident.
At the age of 31, Charlie Kirk left behind his wife Erika and their two young children—a son who celebrated his first birthday in May and a daughter who turned three in August. In the aftermath of his death, Erika has taken on the role of CEO at Turning Point USA.
Despite the tragedy, Erika continues to post videos of her late husband on social media while managing her responsibilities at Turning Point. The organization has recently announced plans for an alternative halftime show for the upcoming Super Bowl LX.
Erika’s choice to continue her husband’s legacy faced criticism from some online commentators who felt she should focus more on her children after their father’s death or suggested she moved on too quickly by leading Turning Point USA.
On the one-month anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s death, Erika shared an Instagram post featuring clips of supporters gathering to pay their respects, along with her reflections on handling her grief.
In the caption, she expressed: “…there is no linear blueprint for grief. One day you’re collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus in between labored breaths. The next you’re playing with your children in the living room, surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of something you can only attempt to define as divinely planted and bittersweet joy as a smile breaks through on your face.”
She continued: “They say time heals. But love doesn’t ask to be healed. Love asks to be remembered. It’s humbling to realize that this magnitude of suffering didn’t steal my love for my husband. It amplified it. It crystallized it.”
Erika reassured her followers of her enduring connection to Charlie, writing: “I carry my Charlie in every breath, in every ache, and in every quiet act of day to day living as I attempt to relearn what that rhythm will be.”
She added: “And what I’ve realized through these past 30 days is the greater the suffering, the purer the love. And I have never loved him more than I do now.”
In another post, Erika shared a handwritten note from Charlie, explaining he wrote her a ‘love note’ every Saturday, stating: “He never missed one… I share this in hopes that today, husbands are encouraged to be even better husbands and wives are encouraged to be even better wives.”
If you’ve experienced a loss and need someone to talk to confidentially, you can reach out to GrieveWell at (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].