University of Utah student Sara Larsen, daughter of Videra Health CEO, faces intense backlash over ‘Happy Kirkiversary’ cake celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination

A University of Utah student Sara Larsen has apologized after facing intense online backlash over a photo showing her posing with a cake bearing the words “Happy Kirkiversary,” a reference to the anniversary of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death. Sara Larsen came under fire after the photo circulated widely on social media. In her response, Larsen acknowledged that she had made a joke about Kirk’s murder and said she regretted celebrating or contributing to the celebration of his death.

An X account identified as Aesthetica claimed that Larsen is the daughter of Loren Larsen, CEO of Salt Lake City-based Videra Health. However, the claim about her family background has circulated through social media and there is no confirmation on it.

The controversy has also sparked a dispute between student political groups at the University of Utah, with the College Democrats accusing the University of Utah College Republicans of publicly shaming and cyberbullying the student. Sara Larsen is a student at the University of Utah who became the subject of online criticism after a photograph of her with the “Happy Kirkiversary” cake circulated on social media.


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After the photograph went viral, Larsen issued an apology on X.

“Yesterday I made a joke about Charlie Kirk’s murder. My actions and my words are my own. I do not represent anyone other than myself. Upon reflection, it was wrong for me to celebrate, or perpetuate the celebration of, Charlie Kirk’s death. I apologize for doing so sincerely. Nobody should be murdered or persecuted for their speech.”

What did the University of Utah College Democrats say?

The controversy escalated after the University of Utah College Republicans reposted the photograph. The University of Utah College Democrats subsequently issued a statement criticizing the Republican student group. Although the Democrats' statement did not name Larsen, social media posts discussing the controversy identified her as the student involved.

The College Democrats acknowledged that the original joke was distasteful but accused the College Republicans of using the photograph to publicly shame the student.

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According to the Democrats, the post received more than six million views and attracted thousands of hateful comments. The group alleged that some comments targeted Larsen and her family, including attempts to expose personal information. The College Democrats described the situation as “cyberbullying” and said the online backlash had serious consequences for the student.

The College Democrats claimed that the University of Utah College Republicans did not remove the photograph even after Larsen apologized. The group said the online harassment forced Larsen to delete several social media accounts. It also claimed that she was unable to go to campus and feared for the safety of her family.

Why is Charlie Kirk’s death being discussed again?

The Sara Larsen controversy comes as other alleged instances of people celebrating or mocking Charlie Kirk’s death have surfaced online. Social media posts have recently circulated claiming that students and other individuals planned or participated in events making light of Kirk's assassination.

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One set of screenshots shared by the account Libs of TikTok allegedly showed people associated with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville discussing parties connected to the anniversary of Kirk's death.

Another controversy involved a Texas student who was accused online of “dancing on” Kirk’s grave while gunshot sounds played in the background. Social media accounts identified the student as Nicole Suh, a Texas State University student.

In another incident, a video circulating online appeared to show drag performers staging an event that mocked Kirk's assassination. The footage reportedly included a theatrical recreation of the shooting.

Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, during a campus appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

According to the allegations in the case, Tyler Robinson shot Kirk during a student question-and-answer event at around 12:20 p.m. local time. Kirk was 31 years old.