Sitting among a backdrop of books and MAGA memorabilia, Erika sported bleached blonde hair styled in a half-ponytail. Yet, her hair appeared less than tidy, with noticeable frizziness and tangles. This departure from her usual pageant-ready appearance, which she has maintained at numerous events since her husband’s untimely death, did not go unnoticed.

Internet users quickly commented on her look. “Can someone please give her a brush?” quipped one commenter on X. Some speculated that the stress of her active media presence post-Charlie’s assassination was starting to show. “She looks a mess… she needs to go home and be with her children instead of doing all these stupid scripted interviews,” suggested another X user argued. Yet, others proposed it was intentional. “Could they make her look any more disheveled? Transparent stagecraft,” another user on X speculated. Regardless of her appearance, Erika continues to draw mixed reactions.

Since Charlie Kirk’s passing in September, Erika has found herself in the spotlight, accompanied by public scrutiny. Criticism has ranged from her heavily applied makeup to her frequent eye-wiping, and her quick return to the public eye has been a focal point of discussion.

People have also questioned the sincerity of her grieving process. “I know Erika Kirk is going through a tough time, but why does it seem like she’s acting?” a Reddit user pondered. In a Fox News interview in December, Erika acknowledged the impact of the criticism but shared that she relies on Charlie’s past advice to ignore it. “It’s Charlie saying, ‘Baby, just stop. Stop. You don’t have to answer to every single person that’s accusing you of things, or saying that you’re doing this or grieving a certain way,’” she relayed (via NJ.com).

In addition to all that, Erika was also named CEO of Turning Point USA, the organization Charlie co-founded in 2012. She sure has been busy since becoming a widow, and some people find it strange. “It doesn’t make that much sense to me that you were an obedient, submitting Christian woman when your husband was alive, letting him make the family decisions, etc, and that when he dies, you immediately abandon your family and responsibilities with the home and children,” an Instagram user argued.

Erika’s grieving style has also been questioned, with many accusing her of faking it. “I know erika kirk is going through a tough time, but why does it seem like she’s acting?” a Reddit user asked. In a December Fox News interview, Erika admitted that the criticism gets to her, but she leans on Charlie’s past advice to tune it out. “It’s Charlie saying, ‘Baby, just stop. Stop. You don’t have to answer to every single person that’s accusing you of things, or saying that you’re doing this or grieving a certain way,’” she said (via NJ.com).