It is not every day that the master of horror walks back a jump scare, but that’s exactly what happened when Stephen King apologized to Charlie Kirk after a social media firestorm that briefly set the internet on fire. If you’ve spent any time on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), you know King is basically the final boss of political snark. He doesn't miss often. But in September 2025, the "King of Horror" found himself in the crosshairs of a factual error that was so glaring, even he couldn't ignore it.
Honestly, the whole thing was a mess. It started with a tweet, as these things usually do, and spiraled into a debate about biblical literalism, fact-checking, and the intense political climate following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It wasn't just a simple "my bad." It was a moment where one of the world's most famous authors had to admit he got played by a viral snippet.
The Tweet That Started the Chaos
The drama kicked off on September 11, 2025. This was just a day after the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah. Tensions were incredibly high. Emotions were raw. Into this powder keg stepped Stephen King.
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Replying to a post from Fox News host Jesse Watters—who had described Kirk as a "patriot" rather than a polarizing figure—King fired off a sharp rebuttal. He claimed that Kirk had "advocated stoning gays to death." He even added a cheeky "Just sayin" at the end.
The reaction was instantaneous. Within minutes, the tweet had thousands of retweets, but the backlash from Kirk’s supporters and conservative pundits was deafening. They weren't just mad; they had the receipts. They pointed out that King was attributing a view to Kirk that was actually a misinterpretation of a specific video from 2024 involving a YouTube star named Ms. Rachel.
Why Stephen King Was Factually Wrong
So, where did King get this idea? It basically goes back to a viral clip from the previous year.
Charlie Kirk had criticized Rachel Anne Accurso (Ms. Rachel), the "toddler whisperer" of YouTube, for using the "love thy neighbor" verse to defend Pride Month. Kirk’s argument at the time was about what he called "cherry-picking" the Bible. He had said that if people are going to quote Leviticus or other parts of the Bible for "love," they should acknowledge the "lesser referenced" parts that mention harsh penalties, like stoning.
- Kirk's actual stance: He was making a theological argument about biblical consistency.
- King's interpretation: He thought Kirk was literally calling for the execution of people.
There’s a massive difference between saying "the Bible says X" and "I want X to happen today." King had blurred that line, likely after seeing a truncated clip or a sensationalized headline.
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The Mea Culpa: "I Was Wrong"
By Friday morning, September 12, the pressure was too much. Even for a guy who has survived decades of critics, this was a clear-cut case of "reading something on Twitter w/o fact-checking."
King deleted the original post and issued a series of rare apologies. He wrote: "I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages."
But the internet never lets things go that easily. Texas Senator Ted Cruz jumped in, calling King a "horrible, evil, twisted liar." In a move that was classic King—self-deprecating but still slightly biting—the author replied: "The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes... Won't happen again."
He capped it off with a final, blunt post: "I was wrong, and I apologize. I have deleted the post."
Why the Context of 2025 Matters So Much
You have to understand the atmosphere when this happened. This wasn't just another Tuesday on the internet. Because Charlie Kirk had just been killed, the U.S. government and various online vigilante groups were actively monitoring "uncivil" speech.
Wikipedia and news outlets like the Bangor Daily News reported that the federal government was even looking into penalizing people who "rationalized" or "made light" of the assassination. While King wasn't celebrating the death, his false accusation was seen by many as "tarnishing the legacy" of a man who had just become a martyr for the right.
The Consequences of the Error
- Fuel for Critics: It gave figures like Ted Cruz and JD Vance a perfect "gotcha" moment to paint the left as disconnected from the truth.
- The "Charlie's Murderers" List: During this period, a website appeared listing names of people who spoke ill of Kirk. While King's fame shielded him from the worst of the "doxing" that hit regular people, the event added a lot of fuel to that fire.
- The Fact-Checkers: FactCheck.org had to step in to clarify that while Kirk had made many controversial statements about the Civil Rights Act and "Jewish money," the specific "stoning" claim was indeed false.
Lessons for the Rest of Us
If a world-renowned author who literally makes his living with words can fall for a "fake news" snippet, anyone can. Honestly, it’s a cautionary tale.
The biggest takeaway is that "Just sayin" usually precedes something that hasn't been verified. King’s mistake wasn't just the tweet; it was the speed. He reacted to a headline instead of the source material.
What you can do to avoid a "Stephen King" moment:
- Always find the full clip. If a quote sounds too extreme to be true, it might be. Look for the 5 minutes before and after the snippet.
- Check the dates. King was referencing a 2024 video in a 2025 context. Context shifts over time.
- Own the mistake quickly. To King’s credit, once he realized he was wrong, he didn't double down. He didn't "well, actually" his way out of it. He apologized and moved on.
The saga of Stephen King apologizing to Charlie Kirk serves as a permanent reminder that in the age of viral clips, the truth is often buried under a pile of "likes" and "retweets." It's better to be second and right than first and wrong.