Jamie Lee Curtis said she was moved to tears discussing the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and described him as a "man of faith" during an appearance this week on Marc Maron's WTF podcast.
Curtis, the Oscar-winning actress known for her outspoken liberal views, said she disagreed with Kirk "on almost every point" but nonetheless hoped he felt "connected to his faith" in the moments after he was fatally shot. She initially referred to Kirk as "Charlie Crist," correcting herself and linking the misname to the notion of "Christ" and his spirituality: "I just call him Crist, I think, because of Christ, because of his deep belief," she said.
Curtis said the public nature of the attack and the saturation of violent footage on social media troubled her. She recounted feeling an additional, personal resonance with the televised assassination because she was born five years to the day after President John F. Kennedy was shot. "I’m associated with this awful day of someone being assassinated on television," she said, adding concerns about what repeated exposure to such images does to society.
The remarks came as law enforcement continued to investigate the shooting and prepare charges. Authorities have arrested 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson in connection with the killing. FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News on Tuesday that Robinson has refused to cooperate with investigators but that the bureau and local authorities uncovered what Patel described as a text exchange in which the suspect said he had "the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was gonna do that." Patel said the investigation includes witness interviews and that Robinson "essentially admitted" to killing Kirk. DNA from a towel wrapped around the firearm used in the shooting was reportedly matched to Robinson, Patel said.
Robinson is scheduled to appear in court where prosecutors are expected to formally charge him in the killing, according to law enforcement statements.
Curtis's comments drew attention because she has been a vocal critic of many conservative figures and of former President Donald Trump, yet on the podcast she emphasized common humanity despite political differences. She referenced past statements, including an Instagram post after Trump regained the White House in November in which she warned that many Americans, particularly minority groups and transgender people, would feel threatened by political developments.
On the podcast she acknowledged disagreeing with Kirk's positions but said that did not erase his roles as a father and husband or her hope that he had a spiritual connection at the time of his death. "Even though I find what his ideas were abhorrent to me, I still believe he’s a father and a husband and a man of faith, and I hope whatever ‘connection to God’ means, that he felt it," she said.
The killing has prompted national discussion about political violence, public figures' safety and the effects of graphic footage circulating online. Federal and local investigators have said the probe is ongoing and that more information will be released as it becomes available. FBI officials have cautioned that while key pieces of evidence have been identified, they will not "stylize the evidence" and said details will continue to emerge through the legal process.