Stephen King Apologizes for False Claim About Charlie Kirk

Lead Stephen King issued a public apology on September 12 after falsely accusing late conservative activist Charlie Kirk of advocating the stoning of gay people, retracting the statement and deleting his post on X.

Nut Graf The bestselling horror author’s mischaracterization, made in the wake of Kirk’s assassination at a Utah college event on September 10, drew swift condemnation from political figures and prompted King to acknowledge his error and vow to verify facts before posting.

Details

Subhead: Initial Remark and Retraction

  • On Thursday, King tweeted that Kirk “advocated stoning gays to death” in response to Fox News host Jesse Watters’ description of Kirk as “not a controversial or polarizing figure” and a “PATRIOT.”
  • Facing backlash, he deleted the tweet and on Friday apologized, explaining, “I regret stating that Kirk advocated for stoning gays. What he actually illustrated was how some individuals selectively interpret Biblical texts”.

Subhead: Political Backlash

  • Texas Senator Ted Cruz slammed King as “a horrible, evil, twisted liar,” prompting a follow-up from the author: “The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes. This is what I get for reading something on Twitter without fact-checking. Won’t happen again.”
  • Other conservative voices echoed Cruz’s criticism, highlighting the importance of responsible commentary by public figures.

Subhead: Broader Context

  • Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10 and died from his injuries.
  • King, known for his active presence on social platforms and frequent political commentary, faced rare censure for his misstatement.

Subhead: Looking Ahead

  • King’s apology underscores the heightened scrutiny on social media posts by prominent authors and the necessity of fact-checking before publishing.
  • The incident coincides with the upcoming theatrical release of King’s film adaptation The Long Walk on September 12, marking a busy moment in the author’s career.