Kristin Chenoweth is gearing up for her major Broadway comeback in Stephen Schwartz’s fresh musical take on the documentary The Queen of Versailles, set to premiere on November 9. Yet, she’s hesitant to dive deep into the fresh uproar over her remarks on the killing of extreme-right pundit Charlie Kirk.
In a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Chenoweth stressed she’s “not a political person” but admitted she backed and cast her vote for Kamala Harris in the recent presidential race. “Anybody that knows me knows how I believe,” she notes.
Still, when pressed on any response to the backlash from the LGBTQ+ crowd after stating she “appreciated some perspectives” from Charlie Kirk, Chenoweth chose not to expand.
“It was tough on me, but I’m not going to answer any questions about it because I dealt with it. It nearly broke me, and that’s all I’m going to say,” she explains. “You probably know my heart, so you probably know.”
Chenoweth, a longtime outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, faced flak this year for noting she “appreciated some perspectives” from Charlie Kirk following his fatal shooting at a Utah Valley University event. She posted on Kirk’s Instagram, expressing she was “So. Upset.”
“Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives,” she penned. “What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven.”
Kirk, known for advocating the burning of LGBTQ+ flags and claiming “God’s perfect law when it comes to sexual matters” involves stoning gay individuals, was gunned down amid a debate with students on gun violence on September 10.
In a September Spectrum News interview, when quizzed on the criticism from queer supporters, Chenoweth teared up. “I saw what happened online with my own eyes. And I had a human moment of reflection, just right then. I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks and that hurt me so bad. I would never…” she stated.
“It’s no secret that I have been…that I’m a Christian, that I’m a person of faith,” she continued. “It’s also no secret that I am an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. And for some, that doesn’t go together. But for me, it always has, and it always will.”