Fact Check: Did Disney repeatedly offer $60M to celebrities for a Charlie Kirk documentary?
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA: Claims have been circulating online that Disney offered millions of dollars to celebrities to produce a documentary on slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and that these celebrities, including his widow Erika Kirk, rejected the offer.
The claim has attracted significant attention online, sparking discussions across various platforms. Let us fact-check these claims to uncover the truth.
Claim: Disney offered celebs $60M for Charlie Kirk documentary, which they rejected
The claim first appeared in a Facebook post on October 19 from an account called Girls Dresses, which read: “‘Shocking: Erika Kirk Says 'No' to Walt Disney's $60 Million Deal to Promote and Produce Documentary About Charlie Kirk's Legacy."
The post continued, "$60 million? Keep it!', Erika unexpectedly turns down a huge contract; she could have traded for luxury, but instead, she chose loyalty: 'My husband is dead, let him rest in peace."
It further read, "I don't care about money,' Erika said in the interview. 'I hope people will always support him, this city, and our family. America gave me a chance, and I will give it all back. I am part of something bigger than a paycheck.’” The post ended with a link to an article.
In addition to Erika, the supposed list of people who allegedly turned down the fabricated proposal included Alice Cooper, Cat Stevens, Eminem, and even Prince William.
Fact Check: False, no evidence to back the viral claim
The article mentioned in the post began by noting that the claim did not originate from a credible news source. The opening sentence read, “May be an image of one or more people, blonde hair and text that says 'AM REJECTS $60 MILLION.’”
Searches on Google News and Yahoo News did not return any credible media reports confirming the claim. The article also alleged that Kirk’s widow, Erika, made a public statement before the press. However, a search for her exact words yielded no results.
A search across Facebook showed that the article’s keywords had been reused multiple times in social media posts.
These posts used the same wording, but the celebrity said to have rejected a Disney offer varied across different versions of the story reviewed in the article.
The posts were therefore proven to be examples of copypasta, a batch of text copied and pasted repeatedly across social media and internet sites. These entries used identical fragments of text combined with the names of different celebrities.
Charlie Kirk’s vision continues under TPUSA
Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist and the co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), known for hosting debates across the country aimed at promoting conservative views.
He was widely recognized for his role in encouraging young Americans to vote for President Donald Trump. Kirk was shot dead on September 10 during a public debate event at Utah Valley University, sending shockwaves across the nation.
He was 33 at the time of his death. His widow, Erika Kirk, now serves as the CEO of TPUSA.
