'This Trial Was A Joke': Celebs React To Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict

Kyle Rittenhouse is walking free, and Twitter has responded with a collective “what the actual f**k!?”

The teen has been making headlines during his homicide trial this month after shooting two people dead and wounding a third with a AR-15 rifle during the Kenosha riots in August 2020.

For those who don’t know, the then-17-year-old traveled to the Wisconsin city from his home in Illinois armed with a semi-automatic rifle in an apparent effort to protect property from unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. At one point, Rittenhouse was pursued by a group of locals who tried to take his rifle away, and wound up fatally shooting two of them during the scuffle.

He was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, 2 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide, and first-degree attempted intentional homicide.

However, during a frustrating and polarizing trial, where the judge disallowed prosecutors from using the word “victims” when describing Rittenhouse’s, well… victims, his lawyers had argued the teen’s actions were in self-defense — and the jury apparently agreed, because he was found not guilty and cleared of all charges.

Naturally, the verdict didn’t sit well with many on social media — including the following celebs:

Viola Davis: “Welcome to America”

Ava DuVernay: “John Huber and Karen Bloom, parents of murderer #KyleRittenhouse’s victim Anthony Huber: the verdict “sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.”

George Takei: “Justice denied is a body blow to our national psyche. On trial was not only a killer, but a system that continues to kill. Today that system defeated true justice, once again. But mark these words: We will never stop fighting for what is right and just.”

Patti LuPone: “The Rittenhouse verdict gives them permission to kill. I’ve lost the definition of right and wrong.”

Roxane Gay: “I knew Rittenhouse would be acquitted but it is gutting to witness the inevitable, to know there will be no consequences for the judge, and to know Rittenhouse and others like him will be more emboldened to be openly white supremacist vigilantes. It’s hollowing.”

Aisha Tyler: “This trial was a joke. Unfortunately, in America, it’s a very old, very ghoulish, very evil joke.”

Yvette Nicole Brown: “The good news is that white men & boys can still kill whoever they want and do NO jail time! Isn’t that fun! And he killed white people! I bet little #KyleRittenhouse is gonna go right out and take some more white power pics with #TheProudBoys & plan his next massacre. ”

Rosanna Arquette: “I have no faith in the justice system In America today I don’t want to live in a country that is ruled by violent ignorant racists.”

JoJo: “hey- what in the entire f**k?????!!!!! f**k this s**t. the system is a joke.”

Rachel Zegler: “kyle rittenhouse being acquitted on all charges after such heinous heinous crimes is the epitome of white privilege and exactly what is wrong with this godforsaken country.”