Kristin Chenoweth: Charlie Kirk controversy 'nearly broke me'
Kristin Chenoweth is making her big Broadway return with Stephen Schwartz's new musical adaptation of the documentary The Queen of Versailles, which opens on November 9. Still, she's reluctant to talk about the recent controversy surrounding her comments on the shooting of far-right political commentator Charlie Kirk.In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chenoweth said she's "not a political person" but revealed she endorsed and voted for Kamala Harris in the last presidential election. "Anybody that knows me knows how I believe," she says.However, when asked if she had any comment on blowback from the LGBTQ+ community after she said she "appreciated some perspectives" from Charlie Kirk, Chenoweth declined to elaborate."It was tough on me, but Im not going to answer any questions about it because I dealt with it. It nearly broke me, and thats all Im going to say," she says. "You probably know my heart, so you probably know."Chenoweth, who has long been a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ community for years, drew criticism earlier this year when she commented that she "appreciated some perspectives" from Charlie Kirk after he was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University appearance.Chenoweth commented on Kirk's Instagram, saying that she was "So. Upset.""Didn't always agree but appreciated some perspectives," she wrote. "What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven."Kirk, who has called for the burning of LGBTQ+ flags and has said that "God's perfect law when it comes to sexual matters" includes stoning gay people, was shot and killed while debating with college students about gun violence on September 10.When asked by Spectrum News in a September interview about the criticism she was getting from queer fans, Chenoweth wiped away tears."I saw what happened online with my own eyes. And I had a human moment of reflection, just right then. I came to understand that my comment hurt some folks and that hurt me so bad. I would never" she said."It's no secret that I have been...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."