A viral post claiming that Taylor Swift reacted to the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk by saying “I hope he will rot in hell, and never comes back” appears to be false and unverified.
There is no credible reporting, public statement, or representative confirmation that Swift made that remark, and major news outlets covering the shooting have not attributed any such comment to the singer.
What happened
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative commentator, was shot at an event at Utah Valley University.
The shooting was widely shared online in graphic video clips that rapidly spread across platforms, creating confusion and a surge of reactionary content.
Authorities have since arrested a suspect and are pursuing charges.
Reporting on the incident has emphasized the tragedy of the violence and the challenges that platforms face when moderating graphic footage.
No verified Swift statement
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, outlets covering the story—AP, ABC, People and others—have documented responses from law enforcement, bystanders, commentators and public figures who have spoken publicly.
Those outlets have not produced any verified quote from Taylor Swift expressing joy, wishing harm, or using language like “rot in hell” about Kirk.
Major outlets that have tracked public responses to the killing are reporting either silence from Swift’s camp or no verified social-media posts attributable to her.
Until a primary source (Swift’s official channels, her publicist, or a trusted news organization) confirms a statement, the claim should be treated as unverified.
Something Is Off Here! Watch the Two Guys Behind Charlie Kirk Moments Before the Shooting: “The Shooter Was Right There”
How misinformation spreads after tragedies
News organizations and platform-safety experts warn that violent events often produce a cascade of misinformation, doctored clips, misleading captions, and quote-attribution errors.
Graphic videos of the Kirk shooting circulated widely and were sometimes reposted with inflammatory comment threads; that environment makes it easy for false or unverified statements to gain traction.
Platforms have struggled to remove or properly label such content quickly, and researchers say algorithmic amplification can reward emotionally charged misinformation.
Readers should rely on reputable news outlets and official accounts before accepting sensational social posts as fact.
Taylor Swift performs impromtu show
Reactions online — a mix of grief, outrage and misinformation
Social media has seen an outpouring of grief, condemnation of violence, political finger-pointing, and unverified claims.
Some commentators who opposed Kirk’s views emphasized that political disagreement does not justify violence and urged restraint; others resurfaced past comments Kirk made about public figures.
At the same time, some users have posted and amplified explicit wishes of harm — content that many journalists and civil-society voices warned against in the hours after the shooting.
Responsible reporting and the public response
When high-profile violent incidents occur, journalists and platforms face a dual responsibility: report facts quickly and accurately, and avoid amplifying unverified or inflammatory claims.
Readers can do their part by checking whether a sensational quote appears in coverage from established newsrooms or on the official channels of the person alleged to have said it.
In this case, there is no verified evidence that Taylor Swift uttered the quoted phrase about Charlie Kirk.
Bottom line
The dramatic quote in the viral post is not supported by reporting from major outlets covering the Charlie Kirk shooting.
Until Swift or an authoritative source confirms such a statement, it should be treated as misinformation.
The shooting itself remains a tragic and serious event that has produced intense online reaction — including some harmful and false claims — and underscores the need for careful verification before sharing.
