Charlie Kirk sculptor reveals threatening messages he received after unveiling statue

The artist behind a controversial statue of Charlie Kirk has spoken out about the wave of hostile messages he says he's received since sharing updates on the memorial with the public.

Sergio Furnari, the Italian-born sculptor working on a life-sized tribute to the assassinated Turning Point USA co-founder, took to Instagram to address what he described as 'nasty and satanic comments' flooding his page, while also confirming he would not tolerate any threats of physical violence.

"To all of you commenting with your nasty and satanic comments I will pray for you," Furnari wrote, according to his own Instagram post.

"Once upon a time you were beautiful and sincere children, unfortunately your level of education was limited, and that's why I forgive you all for your ignorance."

Who is the artist behind the Charlie Kirk statue?

Furnari, 57, was born in Sicily and has lived in New York for 35 years, most recently settling in Long Island City. He previously told The New York Post he handcrafted the sculpture using metal frames covered in a resin typically used on airplanes and cars, with hopes of eventually recasting it in stainless steel to make it 'bulletproof'.

The statue depicts Kirk, who was 31 when he died, in a gray sweatshirt reading 'FREEDOM', holding a microphone in the pose he was often seen in while debating students on college campuses.

Despite the backlash, Furnari maintained that unveiling progress on the piece was never intended as a political statement.

He has said he identifies as neither a Republican nor a Democrat, and that he was instead moved to act after watching how Kirk and his family were treated online in the aftermath of the shooting.

What has Sergio Furnari said about the backlash?

In his most recent statement, Furnari made clear he draws a hard line between mockery and menace.

"For sure I do not tolerate any threats or any act of physical violence, I will report you to authorities," he wrote, adding that he simply ignores those 'making fun of Charlie and his family.'

He also referred to himself as 'a lonely old wolf' with no time for those he called 'sheep,' before thanking supporters and encouraging them to help amplify his message, including tagging Elon Musk in hopes of funding a permanent steel cast of the monument.

A GiveSendGo fundraising page set up for the project has separately claimed the memorial's TikTok account was banned after a launch video went viral, and that the campaign has been targeted with "threats and hatemail" since launching, describing the backlash as feeling like Kirk had been killed a second time.'

The fundraiser lists a goal of $1 million to complete the monument, with a $150,000 threshold to begin the build, and offers contributors handcrafted busts and commemorative coins in exchange for donations.