A Kent mum at the centre of an online storm says she “absolutely” regrets posting a controversial TikTok video about the murder of US activist Charlie Kirk – but insists her words have been “totally misconstrued”.
Charlotte Hayes, 25, has been bombarded with vile threats and even had her business kicked out of the county’s largest indoor market after she uploaded a clip in the wake of the 31-year-old’s death, signing it off with: “F*****g kill them all. Kill them all.”
But while admitting her language was “inflammatory”, she believes her comments have been misinterpreted, claiming she was being satirical and not actually encouraging violence against anyone.
Dad-of-two Kirk – a Donald Trump ally and co-founder of right-wing youth movement Turning Point USA – was shot dead at a university rally on Wednesday in what US authorities described as a political assassination.
Miss Hayes posted her video following his death, telling her more than 200,000 followers how she had opened X to a “bunch of little b****es crying and whinging about how political violence is never the answer”, accusing them of “gunning for politics that is inherently violent to its people”.
She then added she was “sick” of the idea that you “can’t meet violence with violence”, continuing: “If somebody was smacking you in the face in the corner of a room over and over, you’re going to hit them back.
“You have to. You’re not getting out of that unless you do. These people do not care if you live or die. They don’t as long as you can work for them and make them money. And once you’re useless, they don’t care. They want you to die.
“Why is anyone, anyone, condemning [sic] that? F****** kill them all. Kill them all.”
The video was shared widely by right-wing accounts on X, with some tagging Kent Police, which confirmed it received “allegations” about a social media post but concluded no offences had been committed.
Speaking to KentOnline, Miss Hayes said: “I had no idea it was going to spiral into what it did.
“I understand my language was inflammatory, but I feel like my point has been totally misconstrued.
“People seem to think I think anyone with conservative values should die, which wasn’t what I was talking about.”
She insists the “kill them all” line was satirical, borrowed from the quote “kill everyone now” in the 1972 cult film Pink Flamingos, which she had watched two days earlier.
“It wasn’t a general statement about anyone who has right-wing beliefs,” she added.
“The tone of the quote was intended to be satire. It was maybe hard to distinguish because everything leading up to that was my own feelings.
“It was a parody of extreme rhetoric, but it was in poor taste.
“It was the same sentiment as saying ‘eat the rich’. Nobody is going to cannibalise the rich.”
But the damage was done, and within hours the video was circulating among thousands of accounts and Miss Hayes was receiving an avalanche of abuse.
“I think a lot of them just want any excuse to threaten a woman,” she said.
“I’ve had countless, hundreds, maybe even thousands, and they’re pouring through by the second – how they would rape me, how they’re going to find me, they’re going to hire people to get me on the street, people they know in my area that are going to grab me and gang rape me. It’s been disgusting.”
She says some trolls have leaked her address and shared photos of her young son, adding that police have given her a portable panic alarm and installed security measures at her home.
“I had no idea it was going to spiral into what it did,” she said.
“Obviously, it got taken by alt-right groups on Twitter and that’s when the tirade started. It’s been horrific.”
She believes her appearance has made her an easy target.
“I am a very good caricature of somebody who looks left-wing,” she added.
“I’ve got face tattoos, I’m alternative, I’ve got a mullet, and I look like I have pronouns, is what they’d say.
“I think it’s been really easy to make an example of me specifically because I’m saying the same thing that hundreds of thousands of people are saying.”
The fallout has not just been online. On Friday, Miss Hayes launched a vintage clothing stall at the Petticoat Lane Emporium in Folkestone, having previously traded on the internet.
But when she arrived on Saturday morning for her second day, she says she was told to leave.
“This is my first physical shop,” she said. “I was so, so excited.
“I spent so much money setting it up. I paid my deposit. Obviously, I invested in a clothing rail, shelves and stuff.”
Richard Tozer, who owns the Emporium and another in Ramsgate, says he was left with no choice but to remove Miss Hayes following the reaction to her video.
“Because there was the association between her and us, our phones went crazy,” he told KentOnline.
“People even came in to photograph her pitch. It was all very negative against Petticoat.
“Because of the nature of what she had done, and with it going so viral, Ramsgate Emporium had phone calls.
“People were threatening damage, and there were death threats to my staff. It all went very bonkers very rapidly.
“That is when I acted. I went in on Saturday and I said we can’t tolerate this and she had to leave.
“I don’t regret my actions. I feel I did the right thing for everyone else’s peace of mind.”
Mum-of-one Miss Hayes, who has been an online creator for years, admits she has “been in hot water before” for outspoken comments.
“I’ve said stupid s***. I’ve said stuff that has been misconstrued. I’ve said polarising things. But it’s never been to this volume,” she said.
When asked if she regrets posting the video, Miss Hayes responded: “Absolutely.”
Kent Police confirmed it received “allegations” regarding a social media post.
A spokesperson added: “Investigators examined the content and concluded no offences were committed.
“The person who posted the video was visited by officers and received words of advice. They subsequently deleted the post.”
