{"id":13601,"date":"2026-07-22T13:36:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=13601"},"modified":"2026-07-22T13:36:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:36:26","slug":"sculptor-of-charlie-kirk-memorial-statue-says-project-may-be-cursed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=13601","title":{"rendered":"Sculptor of Charlie Kirk Memorial Statue Says Project May Be &#8216;Cursed&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been nearly one year since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/07\/jd-vance-claims-tyler-robinson-conspiracy-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Charlie Kirk was shot and killed<\/a> at a speaking engagement in Utah.<\/p>\n<p>And an Italian based sculptor is planning to mark the occasion by unveiling a life-sized statue of Kirk in Midtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n<p>The only problem, he says, is that the whole project has been a total disaster.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump's arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. \" class=\"wp-image-559476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump's arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. \" class=\"wp-image-559476 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-scaled.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump\u2019s arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. <span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Artist Sergio Furnari even admitted that he has considered whether the statue of the late Turning Point USA founder might actually be \u201ccursed\u201d after a series of financial and personal setbacks surrounding the controversial work.<\/p>\n<p>Furnari spent roughly $100,000 of his own money creating the monument, hoping it would attract wealthy backers and eventually raise millions of dollars. <\/p>\n<p>Instead, he says the project has generated little financial support while making him the target of online backlash.<\/p>\n<p>He adds that he has currently raised just $8,000 from his GoFundMe page.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was thinking that it was going to resonate with the world,\u201d Furnari told <em>The Guardian<\/em>. \u201cBut man, people are strange out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"thg-ytf\" data-ytid=\"ug5EmgVRaWU\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ug5EmgVRaWU\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"The Sculptor Behind the Viral Times Square Charlie Kirk Statue Thinks It Might Be \u2018Cursed\u2019\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ug5EmgVRaWU\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"The Sculptor Behind the Viral Times Square Charlie Kirk Statue Thinks It Might Be \u2018Cursed\u2019\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" class=\"lazyload\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video: The Sculptor Behind the Viral Times Square Charlie Kirk Statue Thinks It Might Be \u2018Cursed\u2019\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"68\" height=\"48\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M66.5 7.7a8 8 0 0 0-5.6-5.7C56 .7 34 .7 34 .7s-22 0-26.9 1.3A8 8 0 0 0 1.5 7.7 83 83 0 0 0 .2 24a83 83 0 0 0 1.3 16.3 8 8 0 0 0 5.6 5.7C12 47.3 34 47.3 34 47.3s22 0 26.9-1.3a8 8 0 0 0 5.6-5.7A83 83 0 0 0 67.8 24a83 83 0 0 0-1.3-16.3z\" fill=\"#f00\"\/><path d=\"M27 34l18-10-18-10z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The sculptor has reportedly raised only a small fraction of what he hoped through crowdfunding and says he\u2019s been flooded with hostile messages from critics, including some threatening to vandalize the statue once it\u2019s publicly displayed.<\/p>\n<p>The setbacks haven\u2019t been limited to fundraising.<\/p>\n<p>While working on the sculpture, Furnari tripped over a roll of tape in his studio and broke his foot, an accident that only added to his mounting expenses.<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether the string of misfortunes made him think the statue was cursed, Furnari acknowledged the possibility before ultimately rejecting the idea.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it cursed? Maybe. I don\u2019t know,\u201d he initially said. Later, however, he insisted, \u201cThe statue is not cursed. The statue is blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite the controversy, Furnari still intends to unveil the statue in New York City\u2019s Times Square on September 10, the first anniversary of Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>The sculpture depicts Kirk wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the word \u201cFreedom\u201d while holding a microphone, reflecting his campus speaking appearances. <\/p>\n<p>Furnari has said the project is intended as a tribute to free speech rather than a political endorsement, noting that he disagreed with some of Kirk\u2019s views during his lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>Whether the statue ultimately finds a permanent home remains unclear.<\/p>\n<p>For now, however, the viral monument has generated far more headlines than financial support, leaving its creator hoping his expensive gamble will eventually pay off.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 2 minutes It\u2019s been nearly one year since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a speaking engagement in Utah. And an Italian based sculptor is planning to mark the occasion by unveiling a life-sized statue of Kirk in Midtown Manhattan. The only problem, he says, is that the whole project has been&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2163844100-1-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}