Amanda Seyfried is not backing down from her thoughts about Charlie Kirk being “hateful” amid a growing backlash that has bubbled up against people who condemned his polarizing views in the wake of his killing last week.
The Academy Award-nominated actress, who faced blowback for comments she made on Instagram about the ultra conservative figure, clarified the remarks she posted after his Sept. 10 shooting death.
According to screenshots circulating online, Seyfried commented that Kirk was “hateful” and shared a post that read, “You can’t invite violence to the dinner table and be shocked when it starts eating.”
The “Mean Girls” star issued a statement Wednesday in an Instagram post, which included the caption: “I don’t want to add fuel to a fire. I just want to be able to give clarity to something so irresponsibly (but understandably) taken out of context. Spirited discourse — isn’t that what we should be having?”
“We’re forgetting the nuance of humanity,” she wrote in a statement. “I can get angry about misogyny and racist rhetoric and ALSO very much agree that Charlie Kirk’s murder was absolutely disturbing and deplorable in every way imaginable. No one should have to experience this level of violence.”
She added: “This country is grieving too many senseless and violent deaths and shootings. Can we agree on that at least?”
The 39-year-old actress is the latest celebrity to face criticism for sharing their views on Kirk.
Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth caused a kerfuffle amongst her fanbase when writing that she “didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives” from the ultra conservative figure known for his incendiary rhetoric about women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’m. So. Upset.,” she wrote following his killing. “Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven. But still.”
In an interview on Thursday afternoon, the 57-year-old “Wicked” star opened up about the controversy to NY1’s Frank DiLella, who asked her about the comment considering Kirk’s anti-LGBTQ+ views.
“I saw what happened online with my own eyes, and I had a human moment of reflection, just right then,” Chenoweth said. “I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks. And that hurt me so bad. I would never. It’s no secret that I’m a Christian, that I’m a person with faith. It’s also no secret that I’m an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. And for some, that doesn’t go together. But for me, it always has, and it always will.”
