Kristin Chenoweth, Broadway’s pint-sized powerhouse with the giant pipes — and an even bigger LGBTQ+ fanbase — has landed herself in a royal mess.
Just weeks before her buzzy new musical The Queen of Versailles hits the stage, the beloved Tony winner tripped a PR landmine with a single Instagram comment mourning right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk.
“I’m. So. Upset,” she wrote. “Didn’t always agree but appreciated some perspectives. What a heartbreak. His young family. I know where he is now. Heaven.”
Cue the sound of gay Twitter exploding.
Kirk, of course, built his brand opposing same-sex marriage and railing against trans rights. For Chenoweth — a longtime ally who’s headlined Pride events and championed inclusion — the comment landed like a slap. Within hours, she was accused of “platforming hate.”
To her credit, Chenoweth quickly clarified — calling it “a human moment of reflection” and reaffirming her love for the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s no secret that I’m a Christian,” she explained. “It’s also no secret that I’m an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. For some, that doesn’t go together. But for me, it always has — and it always will.”
Still, the backlash stuck. And now a new question hangs over her Broadway return: Should queer audiences still show up for The Queen of Versailles*?*
THE CASE FOR STAYING HOME
Let’s be honest: for many queer fans, her comment reopened old wounds. It reminded us that even our most glitter-dusted allies can still cozy up, however unintentionally, to those who’d strip away our rights.
Buying a ticket might feel like rewarding bad behavior. Money talks — and spending it could read as forgiveness on demand. In a year marked by drag bans, book bans, and rising anti-LGBTQ+ hostility, some say it’s time to draw firmer lines.
And there’s the emotional toll. Theatre is supposed to be a refuge, not a referendum. If you’re shelling out $250 for orchestra seats, you shouldn’t have to wonder whether your idol thinks Charlie Kirk “had some good points.”
For some, Chenoweth’s words were a painful reminder that even the most rainbow-splashed Broadway can still break your heart.
THE CASE FOR SHOWING UP
But before you rip up your Playbill, consider this: Kristin Chenoweth isn’t some secret conservative trying to smuggle coded messages into an eleven o’clock number. She’s a complicated, emotional woman — one who’s long walked the tightrope between faith and inclusivity.
She slipped. She owned it — mostly — and she reaffirmed her stance. That counts for something in an era when too many celebrities double down instead of reflect.
And The Queen of Versailles isn’t political — it’s a campy, glittering fever dream about excess, ambition, and the crumbling American fantasy. It’s tailor-made for Chenoweth’s comic genius and vocal fireworks. Boycotting it might mean missing one of the season’s great performances.
Boycotts have their place. But so does grace. Seeing the show doesn’t mean excusing her comment — it means engaging with the art while holding the artist accountable. Both can be true.
Besides, nobody ever grew stronger by avoiding discomfort. Showing up, watching critically, and having real conversations afterward might be the more radical act.
Supporting the arts doesn’t mean silencing your conscience — it means walking into the theatre with open eyes and an open heart.
THE VERDICT
So — should gays see The Queen of Versailles?
That’s up to you.
If you stay home, I get it. If you go, I get that too. But for me? I say see it.
Support the art, not the misstep. Applaud the performance, not the post. Buy the ticket, but bring your conscience with you.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting; it means staying in the conversation. Chenoweth may have stumbled, but she’s still one of Broadway’s brightest lights — a voice that can shake a chandelier and, maybe, remind us that true allyship isn’t about perfection. It’s about growth.
So yes, go see the show. But see it knowing fandom doesn’t cancel accountability — and that love, like good theatre, is always strongest when it’s honest.
Rob Shuter is a celebrity journalist, talk-show host, and former publicist who has represented stars including Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Kate Spade, Diddy, Jon Bon Jovi, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Jessica Simpson, and HRH Princess Michael of Kent. He is the author of The 4 Word Answer, a bestselling self-help book blending Hollywood stories with personal breakthroughs. Rob hosts Naughty But Nice with Rob, a top 20 iTunes podcast, and was the only entertainment columnist at The Huffington Post. A veteran of PR and magazines, he also helmed OK! Magazine. Read his latest exclusives at robshuter.substack.com
In the 70s gay bars didnt serve drinks with orange juice due to Anita Bryants conservative activism and her funding from the Florida Orange Growers Co-Op. We are stubborn people when you tick us off. Consider herself lucky if its one show we don’t see rather than delete all her music from our Spotify and not go see Wicked 2 and anything her paws have touched.
You’re going to “cancel” her for having empathy for a dead 31-year-old man’s young family? She’s been an LGBTQIA+ supporter forever and made a statement about it when people got mad at her for making a comment about Charlie Kirk. This feels like another witch hunt. Can we be inclusive, instead of exclusive?
The show sucks anyway, it’s a big NO for me.
The fact that she agreed with anything he said and claimed he is in heaven is unforgivable. She can go to hell (with Charlie)
It seems reasonable that a celebrity would be horrified that another public figure was gunned down because of their beliefs. It shouldn’t matter if you agree with their position (and Ms. Chenoweth mentioned that she didn’t), it’s important to denounce the violence.
No. You F with the queer community, expect to be thrown out with the rest of the trash.
We’re losing rights again, because we’ve been designated a danger to children & the American family. Its the same playbook that they pull out every decade. Charlie Kirk’s presentation was new, but his arguments were the same. Im not that political, but I’ve known about Kirk’s rhetoric since 2018.
This is why the LGBT community is losing everything that was fought for because they act like Nazis and you must not have a different opinion why my husband and I keep to ourselves
It isn’t Chenoweth’s comments that will keep me from seeing this musical. It’s that I don’t really care for the subject matter and frankly a musical about this woman doesn’t interest me at all. I don’t really care for musicals that attempt to be spectacles. The Metropolitan Opera does it better, so why even try? When I was in New York a couple of months ago, the best show I saw was Operation Mincemeat. Great story, five actors playing multiple roles in a brilliantly precision-directed production. I also loved the revival of Gypsy with Audra McDonald, but saw Six for the second time as well.
At this point in my life, I’m much more interested on musicals that haven’t been produced in decades rather than the new, frankly uninspired stuff. I recently saw a Concert version of Anyone Can Whistle and it was terrific. I want to see shows like One Touch of Venus, Irene, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Allegro, The Boys from Syracuse or A Connecticut Yankee instead of most of the new stuff, especially musicals based on movies. I’ve only seen three of those that worked onstage: The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Waitress.
Enough is enough. It’s no longer about creativity, it’s about money!