The audience of thousands fell silent, not because of the mourning, but because of the shocking image: Charlie’s young wife, in a gorgeous dress, stepped out into the middle of the stadium and spoke confidently. Less than two weeks after the horrific assassination, instead of avoiding the public gaze, she chose the bright lights and television cameras. Some viewers shed tears, but others were stunned, skeptical: was this really the pain of a widow?
That appearance immediately caused fierce controversy, spreading across social networks. Many people asked: “Why choose the stage to express, while two orphans are still crying at home?” Not only the audience, but also stars in the rugby world expressed their surprise.
Travis Kelce, the standout of the Kansas City Chiefs, could not hide his shock: “Honestly, I have never seen such a strange scene: a woman who had just lost her husband less than half a month, and yet she walked out into the middle of a packed stadium, in a gorgeous dress, smiling and speaking like a star. I stood there, speechless, wondering — was this genuine pain or just a carefully staged performance for the whole world to watch.”
Kelce’s words were like a spark that added fuel to the already burning public opinion, turning the memorial into the center of unprecedented controversy in the NFL.