Jamie Lee Curtis tears up over Charlie Kirk killing despite disagreeing with him on "almost every point"

On a recent episode of Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis broke down in tears while discussing the tragic killing of conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk. The emotional moment, recorded on September 15, 2025, came as Curtis reflected on Kirk’s death during his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.

In the podcast with Marc Maron, Jamie Lee Curtis expressed, 

“I disagreed with him on almost every point I ever heard him say, but I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died, that he felt connected with his faith. Even though I find what he, his ideas were abhorrent to me. I still believe he’s a father and a husband and a man of faith. And I hope whatever connection to God means that he felt it."

Her raw response, marked by a slip of the tongue when she briefly called him “Charlie Crist” due to his devout Christian beliefs, revealed a complex humanity. Curtis also took issue with the way violence is so common now. She compared the footage from Kirk's murder to the endless video of the 9/11 event or the Zapruder film of JFK's murder. 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox shared that Tyler Robinson, 22, who has been implicated in the murder of Kirk and awaits charges, has also been taken into custody. Curtis's unsolicited concern illustrates the complications of the conflict between divided ideologies and common humanity and raises difficult questions about empathy in an ideological world. 

Jamie Lee Curtis mourns Charlie Kirk: Empathy amid disagreement

Curtis’ tears weren’t for Kirk’s politics but for his humanity. Kirk, a polarising figure known for his conservative activism, was gunned down in a public setting, an act that shocked many.

Curtis also noted the psychological effects of graphic videos circulating online. "We don’t know what that does," she said, referring to the endless loop of traumatic footage from 9/11 to the killing of Kirk. She contrasted earlier past video documentation, referencing the Zapruder film of the assassination of Kennedy as a single documentation of violence as distinct from the continuous actions of violence today. This deluge, she claimed, numbs society while carving trauma.

She challenged the listener to consider the work she does: she uses her will not to watch the video of the violence against Kirk as consuming something so frenetic and graphic has a cost associated with it that we do not understand. 

To hear more from Jamie Lee Curtis's interview about Kirk's killing as well as the macroscopic implications of violent video, check out the "WTF With Marc Maron" episode available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and the official WTF website. 

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