Erika Kirk marks the first Valentine’s Day without her late husband, a right-wing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“All I can give you is another love letter … They were very respectful,” Erika, 37, wrote on Instagram on Saturday, February 14, alongside a photo of a letter she received from her late husband before his sudden death.
“You can deliberately put aside the noise of the world and give me words that sound holy and are filled with a deep love that we both can never explain,” he continued in the text. “I read it slowly now. And as I read your words, a weight in my heart reminds me of the fact that we were never promised gray hair and rocking chairs even though we thought it was guaranteed. But, do I like to tell the children about the fullness of our agreement that left a mark on my soul. My favorite love story.”
Charlie was shot and killed in September 2025 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that we, the leadership team of Turning Point USA, are writing to inform you that early this afternoon, Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in heaven,” a statement issued by Turning Point USA read at the time, confirming the death of this political activist.
After a 33-hour manhunt, the 22-year-old turned himself in to authorities at the behest of his parents, and was arrested and charged with Charlie’s murder. He is currently being held without bail in a Utah jail. If convicted, the 22-year-old faces the death penalty.
Erika has taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA, a right-wing nonprofit founded by Charlie and Bill Montgomery in 2012. Among the heavy public memorials, many public appearances, intense fights and a controversial hug with the Vice President. JD VanceErika has been open about her personal experiences with grief.
“…there is no painting of grief. One day you are lying on the ground screaming the name of Jesus between heavy breaths,” Erika, 36, wrote on Instagram in October 2025. “The next you are playing with your children in the lounge surrounded by family photos, and you feel the rush of something you can try to describe as a sad smile like holiness.”
Erika Kirk (née Frantzve) celebrated her 37th birthday with a throwback video of her late husband, Charlie Kirk. “I always liked to celebrate you, and maybe because it showed how well you celebrated me,” Erika captioned the Instagram video on Thursday, November 20. “I loved growing old with you, the love of […]
She continued at the time, “They say time heals, but love does not ask to be healed. Love asks to be remembered. It is humbling to see that this hardship of suffering did not steal my love for my husband, it increased it.”
On Valentine’s Day 2026, Erika continued to urge her followers to “honor the Sabbath this weekend with your loved ones.”
“And if you’re married, take a minute to sit down and write them a love letter.” Showing that you see them, you love them, you respect them, and you want to continue to be better for them,” he added. “A letter like this may seem trivial, but you will never know how life will go, if the Lord calls you home, even when you are not there, as they think about your words, your love still serves them.”
She ended with a special message to her late husband, “I love you Charlie baby, you will always be my Valentine.”
