Too Little, Too Late: Calls for Charlie Kirk Estate Defamation Suit Against Stephen King Escalate After Apology, Deleted Tweet

It author Stephen King has apologized for a grotesque smear against assassinated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Calls for Kirk’s estate to sue King for defamation have only escalated after King deleted his vile tweet.

“I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays,” he wrote. “What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.”

In responding to a post from Fox News host Jessie Watters, who said Kirk was not “controversial” or “polarizing,” Stephen King said Kirk “advocated for stoning gays to death, just sayin’.”

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) got the defamation lawsuit calls rolling, saying  “Please share if you agree that the estate of Charlie Kirk should sue Stephen King for defamation over this heinously false accusation He’s crossed a line It will prove costly.”

Though King apologized and deleted his original tweet lying about Kirk, many social media users continued to demand that he be sued for his false claim. King also continued to make excuses for his false remark, saying “This is what I get for reading something on Twitter w/o fact-checking. Won’t happen again.” He was responding to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who called King a “horrible, evil, twisted liar.”

President Donald Trump revealed Friday morning the that Kirk’s alleged assassin was in police custody. That man has since been identified as 22-year-old Utah resident named Tyler Robinson.