Erika Kirk (née Frantzve) has vowed to continue honoring her husband, Charlie Kirk, after his shocking death.
On September 10, 2025, Erika’s life was turned upside down when her husband was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31.
“Charlie loved life. He loved his life, he loved America, he loved nature, which always helped him closer to God,” Erika said in her first statement following Charlie’s death. “He was such a good man. He still is such a good man. He was the perfect father. He was the perfect husband.”
The couple — who shared two children: a daughter born in August 2022 and a son born in May 2024 — got married in 2021. After Charlie’s death, Erika was named CEO of Turning Point USA and promised to carry on his legacy.
“He knew that evil wins when good people stay silent,” Erika said at Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards in November 2025. “For the rest of my life, I will make sure that I don’t stay silent. I’ll keep speaking the truth no matter the cost. I pray that all of you do too, for Charlie.”
As Erika continues to mourn the death of her husband, keep reading to learn more about her life after Charlie’s passing:
Erika Kirk Shares the Hardest Part of Her Days Today
In her first TV interview since Charlie’s death, Erika was asked to share the hardest part of her day.
“The nights are the hardest, being in a bed by yourself,” she shared on Jesse Watters Primetime. “Rolling over trying to [get a] goodnight kiss that’s not there.”
At the time, Erika said she was trying to find comfort by reading one of C. S. Lewis’ books (presumably titled A Grief Observed) “because he lost the love of his life — he was only married to [his wife] for four years.”
How Erika Kirk Talks to Her Children About Charlie Kirk’s Death
Although Erika initially told her two kids that their dad was on a “work trip with Jesus,” she has been able to have more honest conversations with her oldest child.
“Yes, my daughter continues to ask, but it’s really sweet because I keep explaining to her a few things. I said, ‘If ever you want to talk to Daddy, you just look up to the sky and start talking to him — he can hear you,’” she told Fox News. “I told her, ‘Daddy is in heaven.’ She goes, ‘You think I could go sometime?’ I said, ‘Baby, we will all go one day.’”
Erika Kirk Recalls Seeing Charlie Kirk After He Was Shot
Despite law enforcement advising Erika not to see her husband in a Utah hospital after he was shot, she was adamant.
“The room got quiet because half the room knew it’s probably a good idea, and the other half of the room was like, ‘There is no way she’s listening to you right now.’ And I responded back to him, and I said, ‘With all due respect, sir, I want to see what they did to my husband, and I want to give him a kiss, because I didn’t get to give him a kiss this morning,’” she said on Fox News. “And I said the same thing to the doctor.”
The doctor ultimately allowed Erika to see her husband. (She has not, however, seen videos of the actual shooting.)
“He was still warm and his eyes were slightly open. He had this smirk on his face,” she said. “It meant three things to me. First, that he died doing what he loved. Second was that he was at peace. [Third], I gave him a kiss.”
How Erika Kirk Feels About Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Shooter
While delivering a eulogy in honor of her husband in September 2025, Erika publicly forgave the man allegedly responsible for her husband’s death.
“I forgive him because it is what Christ did,” Erika said during the public memorial held at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. “The answer to hate is not hate.”
Erika Kirk Prayed She Was Pregnant After Charlie Kirk’s Death
Nearly two months after Charlie’s death, Erika revealed that she hoped the pair would be growing their family when he was fatally shot earlier this year.
“We wanted to have four [children],” Erika said during a November 2025 interview with Megyn Kelly. “And I was praying to God that I was pregnant when he got murdered. … Both of us were, we were really excited to just expand our family.”
After Charlie’s death, Erika said she tries to tell young couples not to wait if they are serious about expanding their family.
“I tell them, ‘Please, don’t put it off.’ Especially if you’re a young woman, don’t put it off,” she said. “You can always have a career, you can always go back to work. You can never just go back to having children.”
Erika Kirk on JD Vance’s Support After Charlie Kirk’s Death
Erika wanted to address any chatter surrounding her hug with Vice President JD Vance at her husband’s funeral.
“My love language is touch, if you will,” Erika explained during a November 2025 appearance on Megyn Kelly Live. “I will give you a play-by-play: They just played the emotional video. I’m walking over, [JD] is walking over. I’m starting to cry. He says, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ And I say, ‘God bless you,’ and I touch the back of his head. Anyone whom I have hugged, that I have touched the back of your head when I hug you, I always say, ‘God bless you.’”
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