Erika Kirk reveals weekly love notes that sustained her marriage to Charlie Kirk

Erika Kirk revealed a weekly ritual she said held her marriage to Charlie Kirk together, describing it during her eulogy at a memorial service for the late broadcaster held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday. The service drew attendees from across the country, with organizers estimating crowds around 200,000 mourners gathered in and around the venue. In the address, she publicly forgave the man accused of assassinating her husband and spoke of Charlie Kirk’s Christian faith, offering a portrait of a family trying to navigate tragedy with faith and grace.

Kirk said that, every Saturday, Charlie wrote one of the couple’s notes for her without fail. He would share his weekly highlight, express gratitude for Erika and their children, and close with a question aimed at strengthening their marriage: “Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.” Erika stressed that this weekly act was a deliberate routine they kept throughout their marriage, a practice she said helped them stay connected despite long periods apart due to travel.

The couple, who were together for several years before marrying, had two young children: a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. The memorial highlighted their shared evangelical Christian faith and traditional, conservative values, which they described as the core of their relationship. Erika and Charlie Kirk met in New York City in 2018 at Bill’s Burgers, where Kirk was interviewing Erika for a job. A widely shared video of Kirk recounting their first meeting shows him recalling that he initially planned a job interview but was struck by Erika’s presence and chose to pursue a relationship instead, saying he wanted to date her after realizing how special she was.

Their bond was built on faith and family, and they became engaged about two years after meeting. The memorial frequently returned to their life together and how their beliefs shaped their decisions and priorities, including their commitment to faith-based values and raising their children within that framework. Erika’s account of their marriage — including the Saturday notes ritual — offered a personal window into the intimate, daily practices that sustained a public figure’s family through intense scrutiny and grief.

Kirk’s death occurred when he was shot during a debate with students at Utah Valley University. Authorities have said the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, may have held extreme left-wing views, a detail Erika and others referenced as investigators continued their work. In her remarks, Erika said she forgives the shooter, invoking Christian teachings that she described as guiding her response to hate with compassion. “I forgive him because it’s what Christ did. The answer to hate is not hate,” she told the gathering, eliciting sustained applause from those in attendance.

She also described her firsthand experience in the hours after the shooting, saying she bravely saw her husband’s body despite warnings about the graphic wound. Erika recalled looking directly at his body and seeing “the faintest smile” on his lips, a moment she described as offering a sense of peace that he did not suffer. She noted that doctors had told her the injury was instantaneous, and she said the moments after the shooting were marked by a profound, shared sense of loss and faith among those around her.

As the service concluded, Erika was joined on stage by former President Donald Trump for the memorial’s closing moment, a gesture that underscored the political and public dimensions of Charlie Kirk’s work and the breadth of support he received from across the spectrum. The gathering emphasized not only the tragedy of the event but also the couple’s commitment to faith, family, and the idea that love and forgiveness can endure beyond unimaginable grief.