What happens when a mocking spell from the internet collides with a family’s deepest fears?
That question haunts the story of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk’s final night. Erika Kirk, wife of the 31-year-old activist and father of two, felt a chill run through her after learning about curses a feminist site had bought to target her husband. The site, Jezebel, had just published a piece bragging about shelling out cash on Etsy for witches to hex Charlie over his outspoken views on politics and culture. According to broadcaster Megyn Kelly, who spoke directly with Erika, the news hit hard enough that the couple invited a close friend – possibly a Catholic priest – to their home that very evening for urgent prayers over Charlie’s safety. The curses traced back to late August, when a Jezebel writer timed one spell to the new moon in Virgo on August 23.
She paid for a “Make Everyone Hate Him” ritual, then amped it up with extras and even looped in a self-described witch priestess named Lillen for a fiery hex complete with a photo of Charlie’s face going up in flames. Lillen mused that piling on curses from multiple people might pack more punch, especially amid a surge in spells aimed at politicians. The writer waited day by day – August 24, 25, 26 – for signs, joking that witchcraft runs slower than next-day shipping.
Her article wrapped with a taunt: “To you, Mr. Kirk, may the rash come swiftly,” and a nod to trusting the universe’s mysterious timing. Just two days after that September 8 post went live, on September 10, Charlie Kirk fell to an assassin’s bullet at an event in Glendale, Utah. The shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, faces murder charges and a possible death penalty, with federal investigators digging into potential accomplices and even foreign links.
The killing came 18 days after the first curse – smack in the two-to-three-week window the Etsy seller had promised for results. Jezebel yanked the article hours after the shooting, citing legal advice and worries over staff safety in a heated climate. In a follow-up note on their site, editors called the piece pure satire meant to poke fun, not wish harm, while stressing they oppose all political violence. Still, they stood by the words as a jab at years of what they saw as Kirk’s backward talk, hinting they might bring it back online someday. Etsy’s role in all this points to a booming corner of the platform where self-proclaimed witches hawk everything from digital curse downloads to custom hexing rituals.
Shoppers can snag revenge spells for bosses or love-binding charms, often priced from $10 to $100, with sellers promising results tied to moon phases or personal details about the target. Bestsellers include black magic candles for banishing foes and “dark justice” rituals delivered via email. Critics online slam these as predatory scams preying on desperate folks, with one forum user calling out how they exploit emotional pain for quick bucks.
Etsy lets it thrive as handmade “spiritual services,” but the Kirk backlash has users flooding reviews and boycotting, demanding the site stick to crafts over conjuring. Kelly, unpacking the saga on her SiriusXM show, painted a raw picture of the Kirks’ faith under siege. As devout Christians, they viewed such rituals as a dangerous flirt with dark forces – not child’s play, but a real invitation to evil spirits. Kelly recalled how, shaken to her core, Erika leaned on biblical assurance that no weapon formed against them would prevail.
She said Charlie carried an undeniable sense of divine favor that anyone close to him could feel. Father Mike Schmitz, a priest Kelly has featured before, weighed in on why believers steer clear of this territory: it opens doors to demons, much like a casual Ouija session that once spiraled into a full-blown possession case inspiring The Exorcist. For the Kirks, parents raising toddlers and champions of gospel values through Turning Point USA, the ordeal felt like outright torment from those who clashed with their mission to uplift lives.
