Actress Amanda Seyfried said in a newly published interview that she will not apologize for comments she made on social media describing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as “hateful” shortly after his assassination in September.
Screenshots that circulated online at the time showed Seyfried commenting “He was hateful” on Instagram and sharing a post that read, “You can’t invite violence to the dinner table and be shocked when it starts eating.” The comments incited widespread backlash.
In an interview with Who What Wear published Wednesday, the Mean Girls actress addressed the controversy and maintained her previous position.
“I’m not f—ing apologizing for that,” Seyfried said. “I mean, for f—‘s sake, I commented on one thing. I said something that was based on actual reality and actual footage and actual quotes. What I said was pretty damn factual, and I’m free to have an opinion, of course.”
Readers should note that in the aftermath of Kirk’s death, left-wing activists circulated short, out-of-context video clips portraying him as malicious or bigoted. Several widely shared excerpts omitted surrounding remarks that substantially altered their meaning. One frequently cited example involved Kirk saying he did not believe in “empathy,” a clip critics used to portray him as callous; but in the longer version he explained that he believed “sympathy” was more honest because no one can truly feel exactly what another person experiences. Another example involved a clip in which Kirk said he would not want a black pilot flying a plane for him, but in the extended footage, he was discussing how diversity, equity, and inclusion policies can cause passengers to second-guess whether a pilot was hired based on merit or to satisfy demographic requirements. Supporters said these truncated clips fueled mischaracterizations of Kirk in the days following his death.
Seyfreid added that posting on Instagram allowed her to clarify her position after feeling misrepresented. “Thank God for Instagram. I was able to give some clarity, and it was about getting my voice back because I felt like it had been stolen and recontextualized — which is what people do, of course,” she said.
Seyfried also reflected on the emotional toll of political discourse, saying she has to remember to “keep [her] head on” when engaging with political issues. During the interview, she commented more broadly on public figures she considers harmful, stating, “It’s always hard to see people who are tricky and harmful have success — like our gorgeous president, the best possible example of that.” She added that dwelling too deeply on such issues can feel overwhelming, asking, “How is the world still spinning?”
Following the backlash in September, Seyfried issued a separate public post addressing the situation. “We’re forgetting the nuance of humanity,” she wrote. “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?”
In the caption to that post, Seyfried said she was not trying to inflame tensions. “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,” she wrote. “Spirited discourse — isn’t that what we should be having?”
Turning Point USA responded to Seyfried’s comments through spokesperson Andrew Kolvet, who said she was entitled to her opinion but should expect criticism. “Amanda Seyfried obviously knows nothing about who Charlie Kirk actually was,” Kolvet said, adding that if someone’s reaction to “an innocent husband and father being assassinated in cold blood” is to label him “hateful,” then “you are the hateful one.”
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
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One more liberal who has been convinced by leftist disinformation to demonize Charlie Kirk. How sad. Did she ever meet and greet him to discuss his issues? Has she talked to his wife or supporters before making such bold accusations? Probably not. It’s easier for libs to believe anything that their leaders say, truthful or not. And we know that most of what libs say is garbage. Everyone should do whatever is necessary to satisfy themselves that whatever is espoused as liberal dogma is simply that and nothing else.