Author Stephen King may be facing professional consequences after spreading misinformation about Charlie Kirk.

Stephen King made headlines this past week, but not for his writing. The famed horror author found himself at the center of controversy after spreading misinformation about Charlie Kirk in the hours following Kirk’s tragic assassination. Just as the nation was processing the shocking news from Utah, King rushed to social media to falsely accuse Kirk of advocating for the stoning of gay people.

The backlash was swift. Senator Ted Cruz blasted King for spreading such a falsehood, reminding Americans that Kirk never called for violence against anyone. Within a day, King deleted his post and issued an apology, admitting he had shared the claim without fact-checking it.

That apology, however, has done little to calm the storm — and now, just days later, King’s latest Hollywood adaptation, The Long Walk, has stumbled badly at the box office.

What King Claimed

On September 11th, the day after Kirk’s murder in Utah, Stephen King responded to a tribute post by repeating a smear that had been floating online: that Charlie Kirk had supposedly “advocated stoning gays to death.”

Stephen King makes a false claim about Charlie Kirk – X, @StephenKing

The problem? Kirk had never made such a statement. The viral claim originated months earlier, when Kirk pushed back against a progressive children’s influencer who tried to cite Leviticus as a pro-gay rights verse. Kirk pointed out that in the very same Biblical text, Leviticus 20, the scripture prescribes stoning as a punishment for such acts. Kirk’s point was that the Bible can’t be selectively quoted — you cannot lift one verse while ignoring the others around it.

It was an argument about consistency, not an endorsement of violence.

But nuance didn’t make it into King’s post. Instead, the world’s most famous horror novelist left millions of his followers with the impression that Kirk had openly called for brutal punishment of gay people.

Ted Cruz Hits Back

King’s post triggered outrage across social media, with one of the most high-profile responses coming from Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz didn’t mince words.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas responds to Stephen King over his false comment about Charlie Kirk – X, @tedcruz

“You are a horrible, evil, twisted liar,” Cruz said. “No, he did not. Your party—which you shamelessly shilled for—sent $100 billion to the Ayatollah… who does routinely murder homosexuals. Why are you so dishonest & filled with hate?”

The senator’s comments cut straight to the heart of the matter: Kirk was being smeared in death, while the people spreading lies about him were ignoring regimes that actually carry out such violence.

King’s Walk-Back

After the pushback, King deleted his post. Soon after, he issued a rare public mea culpa.

Stephen King apologizes for spreading misinformation about Charlie Kirk – X, @stephenking

“The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes,” he said, quoting Cruz’s takedown. “This is what I get for reading something on Twitter w/o fact-checking. Won’t happen again.”

The admission was clear — King had spread misinformation in the middle of a national tragedy. While some applauded the apology, others pointed out the obvious: the falsehood had already spread, and once it circulates, you can’t unring the bell.

The Long Walk Trips at the Box Office

Fast forward to the weekend, and King’s newest film adaptation, The Long Walk, hit theaters. Based on the novel he published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym, the film was supposed to draw interest from both King fans and general audiences.

Instead, it stumbled out of the gate.

Stephen King being interviewed – YouTube, PBS News Hour

The movie opened to just $11.5 million domestically across nearly 3,000 theaters. With a $20 million production budget, the opening weekend fell well short of what analysts expect for a King property.

Industry observers noted this was the lowest opening for a Stephen King adaptation in 33 years.

While critics were generally favorable, audiences gave the movie only a “B” CinemaScore. Instead of being celebrated as the next great King adaptation, it’s already being discussed as a flop.

Did King’s Controversy Tank the Movie?

Hollywood insiders will point to many possible reasons for The Long Walk’s underwhelming launch: release schedule, bleak subject matter, or lack of broad appeal. But the timing is impossible to ignore.

Charlie Kirk on his YouTube channel – YouTube, Charlie Kirk

The days leading into the movie’s release weren’t dominated by excitement for The Long Walk. They were dominated by headlines about Stephen King attacking Charlie Kirk, Ted Cruz calling him out, and King issuing a reluctant apology.

For millions of Americans mourning Kirk, King’s smear was fresh in their minds when his film arrived in theaters. It’s possible that audiences voted with their wallets and stayed home.

Final Thoughts

Stephen King is one of the most famous authors alive, and for decades his name guaranteed box office attention. But this weekend, The Long Walk has collapsed into one of the weakest debuts of his career.

Charlie Kirk sits down with California Governor Gavin Newsom – YouTube, Charlie Kirk

The timing may not be coincidental. By spreading a false and hateful claim about Charlie Kirk right after his death, King alienated potential viewers and drew national criticism. His apology may have acknowledged the mistake, but it didn’t erase it.

When celebrities choose to peddle misinformation, there are consequences. For Stephen King, the consequence wasn’t just public embarrassment — it was watching his movie bomb spectacularly at the box office.

How do you feel about Stephen King’s latest film flopping after his Charlie Kirk misinformation scandal? Sound off in the comments and let us know!