Michael Arden recently spoke with Out to talk about The Queen of Versailles, the Kristin Chenoweth-led show that he directed, which just opened on Broadway on Sunday. In that conversation, Arden addressed the backlash that the show's lead faced from the LGBTQ+ community after she showed support for the divisive slain political commentator Charlie Kirk.Arden, who is gay, defended Chenoweth, saying that he's known her for a long time and said she has been "one of the most wonderful, loving, supportive allies that I've known." The director continued, "She is a huge empath. I think here is a woman who sees someone who is uplifting a huge part of her life, which is her Christian faith, and so theres that connection. And I think she saw someone whose wife and child saw their spouse and father be murdered. I would just have to say that I know her heart, I know who she is, I know what her actions have shown me and countless others I have spoken with her about it, and I think certainly this has been an eye-opening experience for her, and we've had conversations we wouldn't have had otherwise."Arden ended by clarifying that he finds Kirk to be an "abhorrent figure" and said, "I would never wish anyone murdered, and both of those things can be true at once. It's also tough when we expect artists and performers to be the bearers of opinions on really complex social matters. This is the danger were in with social media."A few weeks before The Queen of Versailles played its first show on Broadway, Chenoweth found herself at the center of a media firestorm after fans saw that she left a comment on Kirk's last Instagram post after videos of his assassination circulated online that read: "Im. So. Upset. Didnt always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven. But still." Kirk was known for spread misinformation about the LGBTQ+ community, specifically trans people and gender-affirming care, according to The Advocate. After Chenoweth's remarks, she spoke with NY1 to address disappointment that her queer fans vocalized and said, "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..." See on Instagram Chenoweth went on to say, "It's no secret that I have been...that I'm a Christian, that I'm a person of faith. 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."