Kim Kardashian Says the Menendez Brothers Are "Not Monsters" and Should Be Free

When it comes to prison reform and advocating for incarcerated individuals, Kim Kardashian has certainly put in a ton of work. One could argue this is a response to the complicated relationship her family has to the infamous O.J. Simpson trial. Perhaps she recognizes her privilege and wants to do some good. Either way, no one can say that Kim doesn't care.

Kim lobbied for the release of Alice Marie Johnson, a first-time, non-violent offender who was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine, and money laundering, despite never actually dealing drugs. Johnson was released in 2018 one week after Kim spoke with President Trump. That's just one example. In September 2024, Kim met with Erik and Lyle Menendez and has since penned a moving essay wherein she demanded they be set free.

Kim's essay was published by NBC News and begins with a bit of accountability, which we love to see. "We are all products of our experiences," she begins, "They shape who we were, who we are, and who we will be." She goes on to say that time changes us, both mentally and physically: "I doubt anyone would claim to be the same person they were at 18. I know I’m not!"

She then goes into who Erik and Lyle Menendez were by briefly mentioning the murders. This is followed by the sexual abuse allegations made by Erik and Lyle Menendez against their father, Jose Menendez, which became the cornerstone of the defense during their first trials. These ended in a hung jury with "over half of the 24 jurors voting not guilty on the murder charges."

Their second trial began eight days after Simpson was acquitted and was significantly pared down. The jurors were not privy to all the evidence from the first trials, half of the witnesses were unable to testify, and the prosecution "mocked the brothers’ defense during his closing arguments for not producing any evidence of abuse." Because of this, Kim believes "Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop."

Like attorney Leslie Abramson, who defended Erik, Kim thinks the verdict would be different if they were sisters, not brothers. And while she also says that murder is inexcusable, Kim recognizes that people fought the idea that boys can be raped. "I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters," writes Kim. "They are kind, intelligent, and honest men." Both Erik and Lyle are model prisoners who have worked hard to improve themselves.

Kim is of the mind that it's important to look at who Erik and Lyle Menendez are today. "I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case," she said. "We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped, or saved."