Kourtney Kardashian Shares Rare Family Photos of Son Rocky, 2, Alongside Husband Travis Barker
Jeon So-nee and Lee Yoo-mi's Intense Collaboration Triumphs: 'You Killed Me' Reaches Global Netflix Peak
Kate Winslet Recalls 1st Meeting King Charles III While Wearing a ‘Transparent Lace Outfit’: ‘Oh My Goodness’
Zach Bryan Shares He Has Been Sober for Two Months Following Mental Health Challenges: ‘I Feel Complete’
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Returns After Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III’s Death, House Band Renamed
Chelsea Handler referenced Turning Point USA during her 2026 Critics Choice Awards conclusion.
Handler, age 50, wrapped up her hosting role on Sunday, January 4, by sharing several acknowledgments, which included a mention of the nonprofit organization that was initially established by the late Charlie Kirk and is now under the leadership of his widow, Erika Kirk.
“We appreciate the critics, the crew, the E! Network, and Turning Point USA,” the comedian stated while holding a nearly empty glass, before breaking into a broad smile. “Good night.”
Turning Point USA was founded by the former political activist in 2012 with the aim of promoting conservative political views on high school, college, and university campuses. Erika, 37, became CEO and chairwoman of the organization in September 2025, just days after Charlie was murdered at the age of 31.
In the previous month, Erika participated in a full week of television appearances on Fox News to promote Charlie’s posthumous book, Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. Most recently, Erika was also present at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona, where she surprised the audience by inviting Nicki Minaj on stage for a sit-down interview on December 21, 2025.
During the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Handler, who has openly shared her political opinions for many years, also humorously targeted Minaj, 43, regarding the musician’s appearance at AmericaFest 2026. In her opening monologue, Handler joked that she hadn’t “been invited to a Black person’s house since [the film] Sinners,” adding that “the only person who has invited me is Nicki Minaj, but who wants to go over there?”
Turning Point USA has gained significant attention following Charlie’s death at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. Much of the focus can be linked to Erika’s public engagements.
As Erika continues to grieve her husband, she has provided public insights into how her family is managing without Charlie, including her 3-year-old daughter’s eagerness to “go to heaven.” During a December 8 appearance on Fox News’ Hannity, Erika mentioned that she and her daughter have talked about where they believe Charlie is resting now. (Erika and Charlie shared two children: a daughter born in 2022 and a son born in 2024, whose names have not been made public.)
“We’ve reached the understanding, and I’ve attempted to convey this to her, that Daddy’s still with us, just in a different place and he’s preparing a home for us in heaven,” Erika explained on the show. “And I’ve mentioned this before, but she said, ‘I can’t wait to go.’ I replied, ‘Me too, baby.’”
On a town hall meeting aired on CBS News on December 13, Erika shared her deep challenges in the aftermath of Charlie’s passing. “Months went by before I could even enter my bedroom,” Erika explained, adding that she had been sleeping in her daughter's bed during that period. “I find it hard to sleep, so I am on my phone and begin to type out [a speech].”
0 Comments
This space aims to broaden the debate on the subject addressed in the news, democratically and respectfully. Comments that violate laws and ethical and moral principles or that promote illegal or criminal activities will not be accepted. Therefore, slanderous, defamatory, prejudiced, offensive, aggressive comments, those that use foul language, incite violence, express hate speech or contain links will be summarily deleted.