The transgender boyfriend of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin Tyler Robinson bounced between homes during his latter years of high school because he and his family clashed over their Mormon faith.
Lance Twiggs, 22, was booted from his home after he drifted away from their Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beliefs and allegedly dabbled in drugs and alcohol while underage. The teen took shelter with two of his friends, brothers who came from a big, blended family of six biological kids and three adoptees, their sister Braylon Nielsen told The Post Wednesday.
While her brothers are are now estranged from the family, the 19-year-old has fond memories of Twiggs, whom they took in during his junior year in 2021 — despite the rest of the family not knowing much about the troubled high schooler.
“It was on and off. He was bouncing couches. He would live with us for a few months, but didn’t like taking up our couch. He would crash with friends,” she explained.
“I loved Lance. His parents kicked him out of his house, and he lived with us. His parents never sat right with my family.”
She added that his parents seemed like overbearing religious zealots and tacked up his family member’s claims as spiteful gossip.
“Lance, that I know of, has never done drugs. He was always like, ‘I don’t want to go out and party.’ He just wasn’t a big partier,” she said.
Nielsen praised Twiggs as a “hardworking” and “straight A” student who went out of his way to make sure everyone was included during his time at UT Success Academy, an accelerated program for gifted students seeking college-level courses.
“We went to a dance once, a high school dance, and he was very involved with it. Made sure everyone had rides. Made sure everyone had clothes. He just took care of people. My sister’s car broke down once, and he came out to help her,” she said.
UT Success Academy Executive Director Ben Kaufman didn’t have any overlap with Twiggs, who graduated around the time he started working at the school.
Recently, though, Kaufman said he’s heard nothing but glowing reports about Twiggs from the school community members.
“Everything I’ve heard about him, he was a great kid. He was nice. He worked hard,” he said.
Though for all his openness, Nielsen said that she “had no clue Lance was trans.”
She was quick to defend her friend and confidently claimed he had no part in Robinson’s plan.
“I think that’s all Tyler. The Lance that I knew would never do something like that. I could never see Lance doing that,” she insisted.
Nielsen’s mother, Jackie, also fully believes Twiggs is innocent in the plot to assassinate Kirk — and hopes he’s able to find his own peace after the investigation ends.
“I don’t believe Lance would have any part of that. He’s a good kid. He’s a kid. He’s compassionate. He minds his own business. I hope the world lightens up on him and stops being so hateful until they have all the facts. He doesn’t deserve this,” she told The Post.
Twiggs recently abandoned the cozy townhouse he shared with Robinson, who was also raised as a devout Mormon, in St. George, Utah.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby previously said that Twiggs was in a “safe space very far away from St. George,” and needed “to lay low for a long time.”
He hasn’t been charged with a crime in connection with Kirk’s assassination, and is reportedly cooperating with authorities.
