Amanda Seyfried faced swift online backlash after she described conservative commentator Charlie Kirk as "hateful" in an Instagram comment following his Sept. 10 shooting death.
Seyfried, 39, wrote "He was hateful" beneath an Instagram post that quoted Kirk and highlighted controversial statements he had made on topics including abortion, immigration and race. The actress also reshared a text image on her Instagram Stories that read, "You can’t invite violence to the dinner table and be shocked when it starts eating," a post critics said suggested Kirk had brought violence upon himself.
The comments prompted a flood of criticism on X and Instagram, with some users calling for boycotts of Seyfried’s films and accusing her of endorsing political violence. One X user wrote, "Amanda seyfried believes Charlie Kirk assassination was justified. Make sure to never see another one of her movies." Another posted, "I am not watching any More Movies with Amanda Seyfried SHE IS SPREADING THE LIE THAT CHARLIE Kirk was Hateful She should lose her Job. HAS SHE ACTUALLY WATCHED ANY OF CHARLIE KIRK VIDEOS."
Other responses accused the actress of hypocrisy. One commenter on X compared Seyfried’s remark to support for punitive responses to protesters in 2020, writing, "According to Amanda Seyfried Kirk deserved to be assassinated because he encouraged violence. Ok so according to her logic people who were violent during the George Floyd protests deserved to be shot by police. They 'invited violence to the table' according to Seyfried."
Seyfried’s pinned Instagram post — a photograph of her with her cat posted in August 2023 — drew a barrage of negative replies after her recent comments. "Horrible character you’ve shown. Be a better person," read one reply. Another stated, "I will never watch anything with you in it. You need to research Charlie and know he never hated anyone or anything. Maybe you need to Look inside your cold heart."
Kirk, 31, was shot while on stage at Utah Valley University during a stop on his American Comeback Tour and later died. He and his wife, Erika Kirk, had two young children, a 3‑year‑old daughter and a 1‑year‑old son.
The Instagram post under which Seyfried commented included a quote attributed to Kirk — "Ask yourself, why is exposing the flaws of MLK’s life and character — something he said we should judge others by — so controversial?" — followed by screenshots of statements critics have labeled inflammatory.
Seyfried’s public commentary comes amid a broader national conversation about political rhetoric and violence. Supporters of Kirk called attention to his charitable work and outreach to young audiences, while critics pointed to statements they said targeted marginalized groups. Social media reactions to Seyfried’s posts reflect deep polarization over how public figures respond to political violence and the boundaries of acceptable speech online.
As of publication, Seyfried had not issued a further statement expanding on her Instagram comment or the reshared text image. Social platforms continued to host a range of responses, from calls for accountability to expressions of support for the actress and for Kirk’s family.
