Dear Kristin Chenoweth, What Was Your Common Ground with Charlie Kirk?

Dear Kristin,

First, LET US BE CLEAR: Charlie Kirk did not deserve to die for his words. No one does. However sharp the disagreements, however painful the rhetoric, death is never the answer. We can acknowledge that truth while also looking honestly at the legacy he left behind.

In the aftermath of his assassination, you shared a brief reflection which included: “Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives.” That phrase has stayed with us, not because it was unkind, but because it suggested that there were some things you did agree with.

And that is where many of us who love you and admire you as a guiding voice in the theatre community find ourselves wondering: what exactly were those things?

Perhaps your common ground with him was simply faith. Both of you were Christians, and perhaps it was only that. Or was there something else in his message that resonated with you? That is what we need to know.

Because Charlie Kirk built his platform by being outspoken on issues that touched the lives of so many of your fans. He called being gay an “error” and compared them to drug addicts. He called being transgender a “lie.” He spread Islamophobia. He demeaned Black women, dismissed Black women as unfit leaders, and repeated stereotypes that have long harmed women of color.

These were not abstract opinions. They were words that landed directly on the people who make Broadway thrive and on the communities who have embraced you for decades. When you say you did not agree with all of it, we are left to wonder what part of it you did agree with.

We ask not to condemn, but to understand. You have always been proof that faith and inclusivity can coexist. You have shown that one can be devout without being exclusionary, joyful without ignoring the pain of others. You have been a light in a world that often feels dim.

That is why this moment matters. For the LGBTQ+ fans who have seen themselves in your songs. For your colleagues who continue to shape and sustain Broadway, onstage and off. For the young artists in Oklahoma or Ohio who find courage in your story. For the community that has loved you so fiercely. It matters to know where you stand.

Kristin, you do not owe the world perfection. But you do owe us clarity. Tell us what you meant. Tell us what you agreed with. Because leaving it vague only leaves us guessing, and in a community built on honesty, vulnerability, and truth, guessing is not enough.