Woke Actor Michael Keaton Calls Charlie Kirk’s Death By Gunfire ‘Ironic’
Actor Michael Keaton broke his silence on the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, calling the incident “ironic” while speaking at the Investigative Reporters and Editors’ 50th anniversary gala on Monday night.
“Before we start to get into the meat of this thing, I’m going to take a minute to say that, regardless of how I probably — not probably — have disagreed with many things he said, Charlie Kirk leaves behind two kids and a wife,” the 74-year-old actor said, according to Variety. “You gotta remember that.”
“Because in the end, shooting people will never answer anything, and the irony that he was killed with a gun is unbelievable,” Keaton added.
Keaton’s comments came during a rare moment of candor from Hollywood, where most celebrities have avoided commenting on Kirk’s death. Known for his roles in films like Beetlejuice and Batman, Keaton has been a vocal Democrat, backing Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden. Despite previously warning that celebrities should tread carefully in politics, he openly criticized both Donald Trump and Elon Musk ahead of the 2024 election.
Keaton wasn’t the only high-profile figure at the gala to mention Kirk. Veteran “60 Minutes” journalist Scott Pelley called the killing an attack on the First Amendment. “Charlie Kirk was murdered to silence his speech, and three months earlier, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were murdered to silence their speech,” Pelley said. “Many admired Kirk; many did not. His catchphrase was ‘Prove me wrong.’ To some, that phrase was controversial, even dismissive. But the core idea was: Bring the proof and let’s debate.”
“Whether you agreed with Kirk’s ideas or Hortman’s, their murders, their silencing, is blood on the First Amendment,” Pelley warned.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis also weighed in on the topic during an interview on the “WTF” podcast with Marc Maron. “I’m going to bring something up with you just because it’s front of mind. Charlie Crist was killed two days ago,” Curtis mistakenly said. Maron corrected her: “Kirk, not Crist.” Curtis replied, “I just call him Crist, I think, because of Christ, because of his deep belief.”
Despite acknowledging that she opposed Kirk’s politics, Curtis grew emotional while reflecting on his death. “I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died that he felt connected to his faith,” she said. “Even though I find what his ideas were abhorrent to me, I still believe he’s a father and a husband and a man of faith, and I hope whatever ‘connection to God’ means, that he felt it.”
Curtis also criticized the viral spread of graphic footage showing the moment Kirk was shot, calling it disturbing and disrespectful.