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Erika Kirk says she doesn’t need Jimmy Kimmel’s apology after the comedian’s remarks about her late husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, telling Fox News’ Jesse Watters that an apology should come from the heart instead of obligation.
"[Sinclair Broadcasting] asked, ‘Do you want Jimmy to give you an apology? Do you want to be on a show? How can we make it right?’" Kirk said in the interview, which will air in full Wednesday night on Fox News Channel.
"Through our team, I responded, ‘Tell them thank you, we received their note. This is not our issue, not our mess….
"If you want to say I'm sorry to someone who's grieving, go right ahead. But if that's not in your heart, don't do it. I don't want it. I don't need it.'"
Erika Kirk discusses Jimmy Kimmel to Fox News’ Jesse Watters on the set of "The Charlie Kirk Show" for an interview airing Wednesday, Nov. 5, on "Jesse Watters Primetime." (Jesse Watters Primetime; Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images)
In his Sept. 15 opening monologue, Kimmel insinuated Kirk’s alleged assassin was a member of the "MAGA gang" while mocking President Donald Trump’s response to his death.
"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it," he said.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which airs "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its ABC-affiliated stations, demanded that the comedian apologize directly to the Kirk family and make a donation in their name.
TURNING POINT USA REJECTS JIMMY KIMMEL'S TEARFUL APOLOGY OVER CHARLIE KIRK DEATH COMMENT
An image of killed conservative commentator Charlie Kirk is placed at a memorial in his honor at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)
At the time, the group issued a public statement saying it "object[ed] to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the assassination of Charlie Kirk."
ABC later temporarily suspended Kimmel’s show amid mounting backlash.
After Kimmel returned, he insisted his words had been "maliciously mischaracterized" and that it was never his intent to make light of Kirk’s murder.
Erika Kirk sits across from "Jesse Watters Primetime" host Jesse Watters on the set of "The Charlie Kirk Show" for an interview slated to air Wednesday, Nov. 5. (Jesse Watters Primetime)
"I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind, but I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," he said in his returning monologue.
"I don’t think there’s anything funny about it."
Kimmel added that he was not trying to blame any specific group for what happened to Kirk.
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Erika Kirk, who has since assumed her late husband's role as Turning Point USA's CEO, is slated to receive the first-ever Charlie Kirk Legacy Award at the seventh-annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards at The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookville, New York, on Thursday.
Watch the full interview with Erika Kirk on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on "Jesse Watters Primetime."
Fox News' Alexander Hall, Lindsay Kornick and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
