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"I saw what happened online with my own eyes, and I had a human moment of reflection right then," the Tony winner said after many criticized her reaction to Kirk's death, in which she wrote that she was so "upset" and "didn't always agree but appreciated some perspectives."
Kristin Chenoweth is speaking out amid the backlash over her comments about the assassination of right-wing activist, Charlie Kirk.
In an interview with Spectrum News NY1 on Thursday, the Tony winner got emotional as she addressed the criticism she received for her remarks about Kirk, who was shot and killed in Orem, Utah, on September 10.
Following his death, Chenoweth, 57, was one of the many celebrities who reacted to Kirk's death, sharing a comment on an Instagram post that read, per Spectrum News NY1, "I'm. So. Upset. Didn't always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven. But still. 💔."
During her interview with Spectrum News NY1, theater correspondent Frank DiLella asked her about the "mixed reactions" to her social media comment.
"Mixed? You're being kind," Chenoweth -- who is promoting her new Broadway musical The Queen of Versailles -- said with a laugh, to which DiLella then pointed out Kirk's open opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and marriage.
"You have a big LGBTQ+ fan base. You know, for members and allies in the LGBTQ+ community, Charlie was a controversial figure," DiLella said. "He openly opposed same-sex marriage, trans rights."
"So I ask, what were you hoping to convey with that post?" he asked Chenoweth, who became emotional, starting to get choked up.
"I'm sorry if emotion gets involved here, forgive me," the Wicked star said, tearfully. "I saw what happened online with my own eyes, and I had a human moment of reflection right then. I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks and that hurt me so badly. I would never."
"It's no secret that I'm a Christian, that I'm a person of faith," she added. "It's also no secret that I am an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and for some, that doesn't go together. But for me, it always has and it always will."
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View StoryOn September 10, Kirk -- who was a controversial political commentator and strong supporter of President Donald Trump -- had been speaking at a student Q&A at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when he was shot and killed by a sniper from a nearby building. The shooting occurred when Kirk was debating gun violence. He was 31.
Two days later, 22-year-old Utah man Tyler Robinson was identified as Kirk's alleged shooter.
Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time on Thursday night. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice; they're all state felony charges, with the aggravated murder count carrying a possible death penalty sentence.
He's being held at Utah County Jail without bail.
