Tim Allen Reveals Erika Kirk’s Words Inspired Him to Forgive His Father’s Killer

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Erika Kirk’s powerful moment of forgiveness at her husband’s funeral moved the nation — and it has now touched one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names.

Actor and comedian Tim Allen said Thursday he was deeply impacted by Kirk’s words at the service, when she declared she was following the example of Christ by forgiving the man – 22-year-old Tyler Robinson – who was charged with assassinating her husband, Charlie Kirk. 

“When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband: ‘That man… that young man… I forgive him.’ That moment deeply affected me,” Allen wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday.

“I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad,” Allen continued. “I will say those words now as I type: ‘I forgive the man who killed my father.’ Peace be with you all.”

His father, Gerald Dick, was killed in 1964 by a drunk driver when Allen was 11. 

Allen’s post has gone viral, with 280,000 likes, 29,000 retweets and more than 8 million views. It also has sparked an online conversation about Christianity and forgiveness, with 11,000 comments.

“I admit I have always struggled with the turn-the-cheek, forgive-my-enemies part,” one person wrote. 

“[Jesus] forgave me for so much, how could I then turn around and refuse to forgive someone else?”

Others emphasized that forgiveness doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to wrongdoing – instead, it reflects Christ’s mercy while trusting Him to bring true justice.

“Mercy and Justice are two different things,” a fan wrote. “Have mercy, and let Christ serve justice.”

Some fans even said Allen had inspired them, too, to forgive past wrongs. 

“I have struggled for 42 years to forgive the man who killed my grandmother,” one person wrote. “I will say these words with tears forming in my eyes and my heart pounding as I type, ‘I forgive the man who killed my grandmother.’ Peace be with you.”

Allen is best known for his roles in Home Improvement, the Toy Story film franchise, and Shifting Gears. 

Erika Kirk’s words of forgiveness were the highlight of a five-hour memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said, wiping away tears. “On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ 

“That man – that young man – I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love – love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

Tim Allen recently shared on social media that he’s diving into the Bible, reading it from cover to cover for the first time. In June he wrote, “Finished the Old Testament and it is such a gift when I get out of the way and the words and meaning flow. This week I am now in the book of the Gospel of Paul. A Roman Jew familiar with Plato, Stoicism, and other Greek schools of thought. I am amazed in seven pages!”

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Momodu Mansaray/Stringer

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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