Fact Check: Did Erika Kirk file $40M defamation lawsuit against ABC and 'The View'?

OREM, UTAH: A claim circulated online in September 2025 alleging that Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, had filed a $40 million defamation lawsuit against ABC and the daytime talk show ‘The View.’

Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem during his American Comeback Tour.

Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and other crimes in connection with his killing.

Claim: Erika Kirk filed a $40M defamation lawsuit against ABC and ‘The View’

Posts spreading the rumor included a supposed statement from Kirk, reading: “The things they said about my husband were shameful and disgusting.” The claim gained millions of views across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, KnowYourMeme.com and Truth Social.

On September 17, a post on X (archived) claimed, “Erika Kirk has filed a $40 million lawsuit against ABC.” The rumor quickly gained traction, racking up close to 4 million views.

Fact Check: No evidence supports claim Erika Kirk filed $40M lawsuit against ABC and 'The View'

Searches across Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo produced no credible evidence that Erika Kirk filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC or 'The View'.

No court filings, press releases, or legitimate news reports supported the claim. The rumor originated with America’s Last Line of Defense, a satirical Facebook page and website network that regularly publishes fabricated stories labeled as parody.

The original post carried the disclaimer: “Nothing on this page is real.” The group’s “About” section similarly clarifies that its content is satire, parody, and “tomfoolery.”

Despite these disclaimers, users often shared the stories as though they were real. In this case, the fabricated post was picked up by blogs and social media accounts that stripped away the satire labels, sometimes even using AI-generated content to repurpose the hoax into misleading “news” articles.

ABC controversy and related rumors

The claim about Erika Kirk appeared just one day before ABC suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' following controversial remarks referencing Kirk. That real decision by ABC may have fueled confusion and made the satirical lawsuit story seem more plausible.

This was not the only false rumor linked to ABC and Kimmel. Around the same time, viral posts also incorrectly claimed Coca-Cola had cut ties with Kimmel following his comments.