The shooting death of activist and prominent Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk put a spotlight on the fractured state of American politics, sparking intense debate over free speech, youth radicalization, and the right to bear arms. But beyond politics, the Turning Point USA founder’s killing left two very young children fatherless and made his 36-year-old wife a widow. On September 10, 2025, Charlie and Erika Kirk’s marriage came to an abrupt end, just four years into it.

The Kirks tied the knot in a Scottsdale, Arizona, ceremony in May 2021, after three years of dating. Charlie met the 2012 Miss Arizona USA thanks to his political activism. In August 2018, he interviewed Erika for a job, but she caught his interest beyond work. On September 15, 2025, Erika shared a video on Instagram that showed Charlie telling the story to their toddler daughter. “Story time: We’re at Bill’s Burgers in New York City, and right near this very table was the first time Dada met Mama,” he said.

He explained how Erika’s answers to his questions made him see she was the perfect woman for him. “I was asking all these questions, asking all these questions: philosophy, religion, Jesus, and then I realized Mama was beautiful and smart and elegant and Christ-like, and so I said, ‘Forget this job interview, I want to date you,'” he told the toddler, adding: “That’s where your journey started.” This wasn’t the first time Erika, who often celebrated Charlie on Instagram, had shared details about their meet-cute.

Before that fateful date at Bill’s Burgers, Charlie Kirk had briefly seen Erika Kirk, née Frantzve, at the Turning Point USA headquarters, where she applied for a different job. He wasn’t involved in the hiring process that day, but she made an impression on him nonetheless. She was spending some downtime in The Hamptons shortly after, when she received a direct message on Instagram from Charlie. “‘Hey, shoot me a text at…’ and gave me his number,” she recalled in a 2021 video.

Erika was taking her sweet time responding, so he messaged back. “I said I urgently needed to meet with her, and she said, ‘Why?’ And it was partially a job interview and also partially something else,” he shared in the same video. He told her he would be flying into New York City, where she lived, to appear on Fox News and suggested they meet at this burger joint. She was intrigued. It took Charlie 15 minutes to realize the questions had pivoted from job interview to date.

Erika was ready to fight for that job, though. She recalled thinking, “I’m ready to debate you about Aristotle and Socrates, and you want to talk about theology? Let’s do it.” He was impressed by her knowledge and fierceness. While some may not see a job interview as a romantic start to a relationship, Charlie believed it set the perfect foundation for their marriage. “You’re gonna laugh, but you should absolutely interview for your spouse,” he said in a 2014 Turning Point USA video.