Former Nickelodeon star compares his dead daughter to Charlie Kirk: much more shocking later
Carlos Peña Vega is drawing a striking parallel between the loss of his daughter and the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The actor and singer appeared on the “Upload with Brooke Taylor” podcast this week alongside his wife, Alexa PeñaVega. In the interview, the couple spoke at length about their fourth child, Indy, who was stillborn in 2024.
At one point, Alexa Peña Vega alluded to another couple who had recently lost their 10-year-old son, Taven. Carlos Peña Vega went on to note that both Taven and Indy’s deaths had “a cascading effect,” meaning they have touched the lives of their family members more deeply after their passing.
“I think what’s been surprising is that Taven, and then even our Indy, and then even recently, Charlie Kirk,” he said. “Like these guys, their lives have been much more impactful afterwards.”
“I look at my life and I’m leaving, if this ceiling were to fall on me right now and I’m gone… I want to make sure that no matter what happens, when I’m gone, it would be great for my life to have the same impact, if not more, afterwards,” he added.
Alexa and Carlos Peña Vega confirmed on social media that Indy had been stillborn in April 2024.
“It’s been a painful journey. But in the pain we have found peace,” they wrote in a joint Instagram post at the time. “This little girl has already changed our lives in so many ways. She was absolutely beautiful. And she looked a lot like dad.”
Rick Kern via Getty Images
They went on to note, “We can’t understand why these things happen and we may never get those answers.”
Kirk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump and founder of the right-wing political group Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10, 2025 during an appearance at Utah Valley University.
Carlos Peña Vega, 36, rose to fame as one of the stars of Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush” in 2009 and continues to perform as a member of the pop band of the same name. He and Alexa Peña Vega share three children and have acted together in several television movies, including “Get Him Back for Christmas” and “Love in the Limelight.”
While Carlos Peña Vega does not appear to have formally endorsed Trump, he has openly expressed his conservative views for some time. In 2022, he appeared on “The Right View” podcast, hosted by the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.
During the 2024 presidential election, he wrote on Instagram that his son, Kingston, had “asked if he could add a prayer for Donald Trump.”
When the post began to draw criticism from fans, Alexa Peña Vega clarified in the comments that Kingston had “asked us if she could pray for both Trump and Kamala.” [Harris]”, and added: “It was beautiful.”
Listen to Carlos PeñaVega’s interview “Upload with Brooke Taylor” here. His comments about his daughter and Charlie Kirk can be found around the 56:35 mark.