Continuing her dedication to prison reform, Kim Kardashian has made headlines once again by calling for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have been incarcerated since 1996 for the murder of their parents. After personally visiting the brothers in prison, Kardashian penned an essay for NBC News advocating for their release.
In the essay, Kardashian, a mother of four and an aspiring lawyer, reflected on how people’s experiences shape who they become. “We are all products of our experiences. They shape who we were, who we are, and who we will be,” she wrote. “Physiologically and psychologically, time changes us, and I doubt anyone would claim to be the same person they were at 18. I know I’m not!”
Kardashian, 43, emphasized that after spending time with Lyle and Erik Menendez, she does not view them as “monsters,” but rather as “kind, intelligent, and honest men.” She noted that both brothers have maintained exemplary disciplinary records during their time in prison.
“With their case back in the spotlight — and considering the revelation of a 1988 letter from Erik to his cousin describing the abuse — my hope is that Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences are reconsidered,” Kardashian concluded in her essay. “We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped, or saved.”
Her call for justice comes after renewed attention on the Menendez brothers’ case, largely due to a Netflix series titled Monsters, which brought their story back into the public eye. Kardashian’s advocacy adds to her growing reputation for prison reform, following her successful efforts to release several other individuals who were serving lengthy sentences.