“I was wrong, and I apologize”: Stephen King issues rare apology over controversial post following Charlie Kirk’s assassination

Stephen King, the well-known writer, has issued an apology after posting something about Charlie Kirk following his killing. King initially posted,

"He advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’."

He later deleted that post, saying that he was wrong and that he was sorry for it. Charlie Kirk was killed on Wednesday at Utah Valley University. A 22-year-old suspect has been arrested by authorities. King's claim caused strong reactions online, and many people said he should check facts before sharing things.

What did Stephen King say and what happened after that?

Stephen King responded to a post by Fox News host Jesse Watters. Watters claimed that

"Charlie Kirk was not ‘controversial’ or ‘polarizing.’"

King added his own comment: "He advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’." That comment was not supported by evidence. Soon, people online pushed back. They showed things Charlie Kirk had said that did not support King’s claim, and they stated that King was wrong.

King deleted his post, and then he wrote:

"I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages."

He also wrote:

"I was wrong, and I apologize. I have deleted the post."

King said he read something online without checking it first and said he would try not to let that happen again.

Reactions, context, and details

After Stephen King's post, many people reacted. Some said he must apologize, and others said his words were harmful. Conservative figures spoke out sharply. One person who reacted was Texas Senator Ted Cruz. He called King "a horrible, evil, twisted liar." King responded to that too, saying,

"The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes. This is what I get for reading something on Twitter w/o fact-checking. Won't happen again."

The Independent reported that Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking at a "Prove Me Wrong" event at Utah Valley University. Officials say a suspect was arrested after confessing or telling family members something.

Stephen King’s apology is unusual. He is famous for writing horror, fiction, and social commentary. He posts opinions often, but here he admitted a clear error and removed the claim. This episode adds to the discussion about truth, social media, and how fast things spread. Because when people share wrong things, they can harm reputations.

Stephen King has said sorry more than once. He reposted several tweets about him, where he was heavily criticized for making such a claim. He said, "I have apologized. Charlie Kirk never advocated stoning gays to death." He said he made the mistake by reading something on X without double-checking. He promised it would not happen again. People around him, and public figures, are talking about what this means.

Some say public figures should be more careful, and some say everyone should check facts before speaking. For now, everyone is talking about Charlie Kirk's assassination, and Stephen King’s comment only added to it.

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