Gala Photos Have People Doubting Erika Kirk’s Grief Again

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What to Know

01 A rumor that Erika Kirk hosted a $10,000-a-plate gala at Mar-a-Lago has been circulating on social media.
02 People have also shared photos of the formal event.
03 In response, people have once again been questioning Erika for not behaving in the way people might expect from someone who recently lost a spouse.

Although it’s common for people to say that everyone grieves differently, lots of people have been questioning Erika Kirk after the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk. At times, people have accused her of being performative. They’ve also questioned her ability (and desire) to make so many public appearances as she grieves. Most recently, reports that Erika hosted a lavish Turning Point USA gala at Mar-a-Lago have been circulating on social media. Some social media users have even claimed that the event was “a $10,000-a-plate black-tie gala,” though this detail has not been verified.

Regardless, people saw the rumor, ran with it, and accused Erika of not acting how a grieving widow should act.

In some people’s minds, Erika should not be taking ‘smiling photos’ at a gala right now.

Charlie Kirk was killed about three months ago, on September 10, 2025. Some social media critics have called Erika out for looking too happy, doing too many interviews, and “grifting.” On X, one critic wrote, “Shouldn’t Erika Kirk, the grieving widow, be at home with her children? She also hosted a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago for $10,000/plate.” Similarly, another person claimed, “Erika Kirk hosted a $10,000-a-plate black-tie gala at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend. Like every grieving widow.”

Though Erika was smiling in the gala photos shared on social media, someone noticed that she was holding a tissue, presumably for drying her tears. “At least she brought her emotional support tissue!” one person commented sarcastically.

People jokingly defended her.

Though some people on social media have genuinely defended Erika, others who jumped to her defense were not being the slightest bit serious.

“Everyone grieves differently, idiots! Like, for me, I instructed a cameraman to hover over my shoulder as I said my final goodbye to my late husband,” one person wrote sarcastically. “I couldn’t produce tears to save my life. And I host dope $10k-a-plate dinners.”

Someone else said, “Y’all leave Erika Kirk alone. Hosting a $10,000 a plate dinner at Mar-a-Lago is one of the 5 stages of grift….” And as another critic put it, “…grifters gonna keep on griftin’.”

Others expressed genuine empathy for her.

Those who defended Erika made the argument that we’re not seeing everything. One person on X said, “Widows smile. Widows function. Widows raise their children and work jobs. Widows read the Bible and pray and have dark moments behind closed doors, often shielding other people from them. Hope this helps.”

And another person argued that Erika doesn’t have to stay home and cry in order for her grief to be real. “She’s allowed to do things,” they wrote.

Erika also addressed the criticism during a recent Fox News interview. She spoke about how people have been “analyzing everything” about her in the aftermath of her husband’s death.

“They think they know everything about you — they know nothing about you,” she said. “They see you on TV. They think, Oh, she’s this, she’s that. He said this, he said that. And honestly, it’s Charlie saying, ‘Baby, just stop. Stop. You don’t have to answer to every single person that’s accusing you of things, or saying that you’re doing this or grieving a certain way.'”

Paige Sheffield (she/her)