Erika Kirk is calling out Dave Chappelle for making an insensitive joke about her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
The comedian didn't pull any punches about Kirk during his Nov. 7 "Karmageddon" show at Madison Square Garden, even going so far as to show no remorse about the manner in which the conservative activist died.
"It's scary being a public speaker," Chappelle said during his New York Comedy Festival stand-up act. "And I mean, look, ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered – and I shouldn't say this publicly, but… I feel better."
"I know I shouldn't say that, but it's just a feeling," he added.
“Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered, and I shouldn’t say this publicly but…. I feel better.” - Dave Chappelle pic.twitter.com/rDgE2L3KCi
— FreeThinkerFitness (@FreeThinkerFit) November 8, 2026
Kirk's widow, Erika, reacted to the clip on X as it circulated online, calling Chappelle's comments "beyond disgusting" and criticizing the funnyman for treating "political assassination" and "the destruction of human life" as entertainment.
She also used her Nov. 8 X post to condemn "leftist" comedians, podcasters and commentators without naming Chappelle.
To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting.
— Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) November 8, 2026
My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our…
"My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives," she wrote. "A culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay. It threatens the very foundation of our country and the principles that hold our democracy together."
"You do not have to agree with someone's politics to recognize the value of their life," Erika continued. "This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates."
'I've Had It' podcast hosts apologize for laughing at Charlie Kirk's death
A day before Erika reacted to Chappelle, Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan, hosts of the podcast "I've Had It," apologized on Instagram for laughing at a separate joke about her husband during their Nov. 5 episode.
"It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret, and we apologize," they said in a statement before sharing that they pledged donations to "Everytown for Gun Safety," the nation's largest gun-violence prevention organization.
Kirk was 31 when he was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. At 18, he cofounded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, which Erika now serves as CEO and board chair.
What has Dave Chappelle said about Charlie Kirk?
Three months after the shooting, Chappelle questioned comparisons between Kirk and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his Netflix special "The Unstoppable." He imagined King delivering a speech online, complete with a pitch to viewers to like and subscribe.
"And the whites were quick to say this. They said, 'Charlie Kirk is this generation's Martin Luther King.' No, he's not. Yeah, that's a reach. You know, they both got murdered in a terrible fashion. They both got shot in the neck, but that's about where those similarities end," he said.
Chappelle also admitted he "was shook" by the shooting, as someone who speaks to crowds for a living.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Erika Kirk blasts Dave Chappelle over 'disgusting' Charlie Kirk death joke
