Vigils have been held in Arizona and elsewhere ahead of the funeral for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, but a series of Facebook posts claiming various high-profile celebrities comforted his father after one such event are false. The posts -- which include identical language and misuse an image lifted from an obituary of a man who is not Kirk's father -- are pushed by a network of Facebook pages managed in Vietnam that have repeatedly laundered fake content.
"Give me back my son, he's only 31," begins a September 12, 2025 Facebook post.
The post includes a picture of Kirk holding his daughter alongside another image of a man who appears to be crying. It continues: "A grieving father collapsed at the memorial for Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA's headquarters in Phoenix. Standing right beside him was music legend Paul McCartney, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer strength."
The message links to an article headlined: "Paul McCartney's Gentle Presence at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial: A Song Without Words."
Nearly identical posts claimed musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger and Luke Bryan were on hand to comfort Kirk's father at an Arizona memorial.
Some posts substituted the musicians' names for sports stars, including Formula One driver Max Verstappen and golf legend Tiger Woods.
Others inserted the name and image of President Donald Trump's appointees Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and US Attorney for the District...
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