Share and Follow
Erika Kirk is experiencing her first Valentine’s Day without her beloved husband, Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing conservative influencer.
On the poignant day of February 14, Erika, 37, took to Instagram to share her emotions. Accompanying a cherished photo of a letter from Charlie, she wrote, “What I would give for one more love letter… They had such a deep reverence about them.” Her words resonated with a poignant longing for the heartfelt correspondence she treasured so dearly.
Reflecting further in her heartfelt post, Erika expressed, “You’d intentionally set aside the noise of the world and hand me words that felt sacred, filled with a depth of love both of us could never quite articulate. I read it all even slower now. And as I read your words, the weight on my heart reminds me of a reality that we were never promised gray hair and rocking chairs, even though we assumed it was guaranteed. But my goodness, do I love telling the babies about the fullness of our covenant that left a mark on my soul. My favorite love story.”
Charlie Kirk’s tragic passing occurred in September 2025 when he was fatally shot during an engagement at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, at the age of 31.
As what would have been his 32nd birthday approached, Charlie’s legacy was honored through a touching video tribute shared by Erika and Turning Point USA, the nonprofit he founded. This video, released on Instagram on October 14, captured precious moments from his life, including heartwarming scenes from the couple’s wedding day, celebrating the indelible memories he left with his family.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, write to notify you that early this afternoon, Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in heaven,” a statement from Turning Point USA read at the time, confirming the political activist’s death.
After a 33-hour manhunt, a 22-year-old suspect turned himself into authorities at the behest of his parents, was subsequently arrested and charged for allegedly murdering Charlie. He is currently being held without bail in a Utah jail. If convicted, the 22-year-old faces the death penalty.
Erika has since taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA, the right-wing conservative nonprofit cofounded by Charlie and Bill Montgomery in 2012. In the midst of pyrotechnic-heavy public remembrances, numerous public appearances, conservative in-fighting and a controversial hug with Vice President JD Vance, Erika has been outspoken about her personal experience with grief.
“…there is no linear blueprint for grief. One day you’re collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus in between labored breaths,” Erika, 36, wrote via Instagram in October 2025. “The next you’re playing with your children in the living rooms surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of something you can only attempt to define as divinely planted and bittersweet joy as a smile breaks through your face.”
Erika Kirk (née Frantzve) celebrated her 37th birthday with a throwback video of her late husband, Charlie Kirk. “I always loved celebrating you, and maybe because it was a reflection of how beautifully you always celebrated me,” Erika captioned an Instagram video on Thursday, November 20. “I romanticized growing old with you, the love of […]
She continued at the time, “They say time heals. But love doesn’t ask to be healed. Love asks to be remembered. It’s humbling to realize that this magnitude of suffering didn’t steal my love for my husband. It amplified it. It crystallized it.”
On Valentine’s Day 2026, Erika went on 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 to them a love letter. One that shows you see them, you love them, you honor them, and you want to continue to be better for them,” she added. “A letter like this might seem trivial, but you just never know the course life will take, if the Lord calls you home, even in your absence, as they reflect on your words, your love is still serving them.”
She concluded with a specific message to her late husband, “I love you Charlie baby, you will always be my Valentine.”