Comedy Central removed a rerun of a "South Park" episode that parodied conservative activist Charlie Kirk hours after he was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University, the network confirmed to industry outlets.
The episode, Season 27, Episode 2, titled "Got a Nut," was replaced in Comedy Central's cable lineup Wednesday night with the season premiere. The network did not issue a public statement but told industry outlets the episode had been "temporarily pulled." The episode remains available to stream on Paramount+ with a subscription.
"Got a Nut," which first aired Aug. 6, lampooned Kirk by having the show's character Eric Cartman adopt his mannerisms and appearance for a college debate podcast. The episode also included a subplot in which the school counselor, Mr. Mackey, joins Immigration and Customs Enforcement and stages raids alongside South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, continuing the program's history of satirizing contemporary political figures.
Kirk, 31, founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA and a frequent campus speaker, was shot once in the neck during his "America Comeback Tour" stop on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem. About 3,000 people were inside the campus arena at the time, and university police said several officers and the speaker's private security were present. Authorities said the suspect remained at large and had not released a description.
The decision to pull the episode followed a wave of anger on conservative social media, where some users blamed the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, for contributing to a climate of hostility. A petition demanding an apology from Comedy Central had gathered more than 100,000 signatures within a day. Turning Point USA and other conservative accounts criticized the episode for mocking Kirk and his faith. On social platforms, some posts asserted the parody had preceded the shooting, and a handful of influential voices called for accountability from the network and the show's creators.
Kirk had publicly reacted to the parody in August by calling the segment "hilarious" in a TikTok video and describing it as a "badge of honor." He changed his profile photo on X to an image of the Cartman caricature wearing Kirk's signature black T-shirt. Neither Parker nor Stone had publicly commented in the hours after Kirk's shooting, and Comedy Central did not immediately provide an on-the-record explanation beyond describing the removal as temporary.
Over nearly three decades on the air, "South Park" has skewered celebrities, politicians and cultural figures across the political spectrum, and its creators have long defended the show as a venue for wide-ranging satire. Season 27 has drawn controversy early in its run; the next episode was scheduled to air Sept. 17.
The shooting has reverberated politically as well as culturally. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social confirming Kirk's death. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the killing "an attack on all of us." Turning Point USA announced plans for a memorial rally to honor Kirk's legacy. Funeral arrangements had not been announced.
Comedy Central's move to remove the episode from its cable schedule illustrated the immediate pressures on media organizations following a high-profile act of political violence. The episode's continued availability on a subscription streaming service underscores the differing distribution channels and editorial choices now available to television networks and streamers.
As of publication, Comedy Central, Paramount and the creators of "South Park" had not issued further public comments about the episode's removal or the broader debate prompted by Kirk's death.