Erika Kirk, the widow of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, recently opened up about the aftermath of the controversial remarks made by comedian Jimmy Kimmel concerning her husband’s assassination. In an emotional interview with Fox News, the 36-year-old revealed that she was contacted by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates approximately 40 ABC affiliate stations across the US, regarding an apology from the late-night host.
However, Erika Kirk firmly stated that she is not seeking an apology from Kimmel.
Sinclair Reaches Out, Apology Rejected
Speaking with host Jesse Watters, the CEO of Turning Point USA detailed the offer made to her by representatives from Sinclair Broadcast Group. She recounted that Sinclair asked her, “‘Do you want Jimmy to give you an apology? Do you want to be on a show? How can we make it right?’”
Erika Kirk chose to turn down the offer, explaining her reasoning:
“Through our team, I responded, ‘Tell them thank you, we received their note. This is not our issue, not our mess….’” she said. “If you wanna say I’m sorry to someone who’s grieving, go right ahead. But if that’s not in your heart, then don’t do it. I don’t want it. I don’t need it.”
Kimmel’s Controversial Monologue
The controversy stems from remarks Kimmel made during his monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 15, following the shooting and death of Charlie Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University.
Kimmel drew immediate backlash for claiming that the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was likely affiliated with the “MAGA gang,” an incendiary comment that politicized the tragedy.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel had stated on his talk show.
Show Pulled Amid Heavy Backlash
Following Kimmel’s comments, which sparked significant public outrage, both Sinclair and Nexstar Media announced that they were pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air.
Amid the mounting pressure and heavy backlash, Disney, the network’s parent company, subsequently followed suit, stating that the show would be suspended indefinitely “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.”