After putting on a brave face in the wake of her husband’s violent death, Erika Kirk is now beginning to feel the strain of life in the spotlight.
The Daily Mail has learned the 37-year-old widow pulled out of a Turning Point USA event on Tuesday amid intensifying scrutiny and online mockery.
Kirk had been due to interview Vice President JD Vance at the University of Georgia for an event run by her late husband’s organization, which she took the helm of after his assassination last year.
But she failed to appear.
TPUSA’s cited concerns over ‘serious threats’ to her safety, but insiders say that does not tell the full story.
Kirk has faced criticism from some online commentators who felt her return to public life after Charlie‘s death was too swift or that her appearances struck the wrong tone.
A close confidant told the Daily Mail: ‘She is aware of how she is coming across. She’s not stupid… she’s seen the online comments. She gets it. It hurts.’
Last month, the backlash reached a new level after a viral video by comedian Druski mocked Kirk’s behavior after her husband’s killing, featuring exaggerated expressions and fake tears.
The insider continued: ‘The Druski video showed her what people thought of her. She’s really hurt that people are feeling this way about her, that they’re mocking her.
Erika Kirk pulled out of a Turning Point USA event on Tuesday amid intensifying online mockery
The 37-year-old took over as chief executive officer of Turning Point USA, the conservative student advocacy organization her late husband founded, after his death
‘She pulled out of the TPUSA event because of a bunch of factors, I don’t think it was just security concerns,’ the source said.
‘If there were security concerns, the Vice President wouldn’t have gone.’
Far-right commentator Candace Owens, who has peddled outlandish conspiracy theories about Charlie’s death, suggested Kirk’s no-show was due to low ticket sales.
But the insider added: ‘It wasn’t just ticket sales either. It was a mental exhaustion of like, ‘nothing I do will be right, people will make fun,’ so she cancelled.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to TPUSA for comment.
There was another complicated element to this week’s event involving Kirk and Vance.
In October, a month after Charlie’s death, the pair shared an embrace on stage at an event at the University of Mississippi which was highly scrutinized.
Kirk told the audience at the time: ‘No one will ever replace my husband, but I do see some similarities of my husband in Vice President JD Vance.’
Black comedian Druski (pictured) mocked Kirk’s behavior in a viral ‘whiteface’ skit targeting conservative women
After her remarks, Kirk introduced Vance and the two shared a long embrace in which the vice president wrapped his arms around her waist while she cupped the back of his head with her fingers in his air.
The moment went viral, with many debating if it was appropriate.
However, the insider dismissed the idea that it played a role in Kirk’s no-show this week.
For many on the right, Erika became a figure to rally around because of the tragic and public way her husband died – and the strength she showed in the aftermath.
Charlie was assassinated at Utah Valley University in September while debating students, a violent death viewed by millions online.
Just days later, Kirk publicly said she forgave the alleged killer in a show of faith that stunned and amazed many.
In the weeks that followed, she returned to the public eye, appearing at events and speaking engagements despite her grief.
Kirk and JD Vance were criticized over their embrace last year which some said wasn’t appropriate
Critics, however, claimed her behavior came across as performative or unnatural.
The insider said: ‘She says she was putting on a face, a brave face, and that’s why she was doing what she was doing.
‘I agree that it was a bad look. Everyone told her it was a bad look, but she did it anyway.
‘I know she is mourning Charlie, we all are, but she just has a funny way of showing it.
‘Do I think that she is mourning enough? That’s not for me to say.
‘But do I think she’s coming across badly? Yes.
‘That much is obvious and finally she’s starting to see how weird it all looked. That’s a good thing.’
Kirk is not completely done with public appearances, however.
She attended Donald Trump Jr’s new fiancée Bettina Anderson’s wedding shower at Mar-A-Lago over the weekend.
‘Everyone was really happy to see Erika Kirk and rallying around her in her time of difficulty,’ a source who also attended said.
