Author Stephen King issued a public apology Friday after falsely claiming that slain Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk once advocated “stoning” gay people.
Kirk, 31, was assassinated on Wednesday by a sniper while hosting a “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University.
Just one day later, King smeared the murdered father of two online.
King posted false claims that Kirk had called for executing gay people.
However, a backlash ensued, and the claim was immediately debunked.
“He [Kirk] advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’,” King posted Thursday in reply to Fox News host Jesse Watters.
The claim sparked backlash from conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Salem Radio host Sebastian Gorka.
They accused King of spreading lies about a man murdered less than 24 hours earlier.
By Friday morning, King backtracked:
“I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays,” King posted on X.
“What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.
“I was wrong, and I apologize. I have deleted the post.”
I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 12, 2025
King’s apology