Kim Kardashian said in an op-ed published Thursday that she believes convicted killers Lyle and Erik Menendez should be freed from prison following their 1996 conviction in the 1989 shooting deaths of their parents.
The 43-year-old reality star, a longtime proponent of criminal justice reform, explained her rationale in an op-ed for NBC News published Thursday.
Kardashian opened up about the topic amid news that Los Angeles prosecutors are reviewing new evidence in the case of the brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago, amid an announcement from Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón Thursday.
Gascón said during a news conference that attorneys for Lyle Menendez, 56, and Erik Menendez, 53, have asked a court to vacate their conviction, as the case has gained new attention in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story last month.
The Menendez Brothers documentary series is from creator Ryan Murphy, a friend of Kardashian’s who has worked with her on projects such as American Horror Story and the forthcoming legal drama All’s Fair.
Kim Kardashian, 43, said in an op-ed published Thursday that she believes convicted killers Lyle and Erik Menendez should be freed from prison following their 1996 conviction in the 1989 shooting deaths of their parents. Pictured last month in NYC
The brothers in 1996 were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago. Pictured in 1991 in court
Kardashian said in her op-ed that people ‘are all products of our experiences’ and that ‘this story is much more complex than it appears on the surface.’
The reality star – who shares daughters North, 11, and Chicago, six, and sons Saint, eight, and Psalm, five, with ex-husband Kanye West, 47 – noted that ‘both brothers said they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents.
‘Following years of abuse and a real fear for their lives, Erik and Lyle chose what they thought at the time was their only way out – an unimaginable way to escape their living nightmare.’
The Los Angeles native in the op-ed piece explained the way in which the high-profile case circulated through the Southern California legal system.
Kardashian said in her essay: ‘Their first trial was heard before two separate juries, one for each brother. Their abuse claims formed the foundation of their defense, with family members testifying on their behalf.
‘After hearing this evidence, over half of the 24 jurors voted not guilty on the murder charges, resulting in hopelessly deadlocked juries and mistrials, widely seen as a blow to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.’
Kardashian said in the op-ed piece that Menendez case took a backseat to the O.J. Simpson case in Los Angeles. (Kardashian’s late father Robert Kardashian was a member of O.J. Simpson’s legal defense team in his murder trial.)
Erik (L) and Lyle were given life sentences for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. Pictured in late 1992 in LA
The case has gained new attention in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming The Menendez Brothers documentary series
The late Simpson was charged with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman ‘more than four months after the Menendez mistrials,’ and ‘eight days after Simpson’s acquittal’ in October of 1995, ‘opening arguments began in Erik and Lyle’s second trial.
Kardashian said in her essay that following the high-profile Simpson case, major changes were made in the Menendez retrial with less scrutiny than before.
‘This time, the judge had changed the rules: both brothers were tried together before a single jury, much of the abuse evidence was deemed inadmissible, and manslaughter was no longer an option,’ Kardashian said. ‘Some witnesses from the first trial were barred from testifying about the alleged abuse, depriving the jurors of crucial evidence.
‘The prosecutor, having successfully argued to exclude the abuse testimony, mocked the brothers’ defense during his closing arguments for not producing any evidence of abuse.’
Kardashian wrote that ‘the brothers were convicted’ and ‘sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and have remained incarcerated for almost 35 years,’ adding, ‘Their only way out of prison now is death.’
Kardashian said in the op-ed piece that the brothers ‘case became entertainment for the nation,’ as ‘their suffering and stories of abuse [were] ridiculed in skits on Saturday Night Live,’ as the ‘media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalized eye candy.’
Kardashian wrote that the brothers were portrayed as ‘two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed’ leaving ‘no room for empathy, let alone sympathy’ in the court of public opinion.
Kardashian said in her essay that she felt ‘Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop’ amid the cultural environment of the 1990s.
Kardashian wrote that the brothers were portrayed as ‘two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed’
Kardashian, pictured in LA last month, has been passionate about criminal justice and the law in recent years
‘Back then, there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys,’ Kardashian said. ‘There were virtually no systems in place to support survivors, and public awareness of the trauma of male sexual abuse was minimal, often clouded by preconceived judgments and homophobia.’
Kardashian wrote, ‘Can anyone honestly deny that the justice system would have treated the Menendez sisters more leniently?
‘Despite overwhelming family testimony acknowledging the abuse Erik and Lyle suffered, the public remained skeptical.’
Kardashian said in the op-ed piece she felt that ‘Erik and Lyle were condemned before the trial even began … of any chance of freedom by a criminal justice system eager to punish them without considering the context or understanding the “why,” and without caring about whether the punishment fit the crime.’
Kardashian noted how she has ‘spent time with Lyle and Erik’ weeks after reports that she was with sister Khloe Kardashian and mother Kris Jenner at the the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where the brothers are in custody.
Kardashian said, ‘They are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men’ who have utilized their time in custody by earning multiple college degrees; working as caregivers for elderly incarcerated individuals in hospice; and mentoring other inmates in college programs.
‘In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records,’ she said. ‘When I visited the prison three weeks ago, one of the wardens told me he would feel comfortable having them as neighbors.
‘Twenty-four family members, including their parents’ siblings, have released statements fully supporting Lyle and Erik and have respectfully requested that the justice system free them.’
Kardashian said in the op-ed piece she felt that ‘Erik and Lyle were condemned before the trial even began’ amid the way they had been depicted by the media and court system
Kardashian wrote that she wanted to make clear that ‘the killings are not excusable … nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime,’ but ‘we should not deny who they are today in their 50s’
Kardashian wrote that she wanted to make clear that ‘the killings are not excusable … nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime,’ but ‘we should not deny who they are today in their 50s.’
Kardashian said in the op-ed piece: ‘The trial and punishment these brothers received were more befitting a serial killer than two individuals who endured years of sexual abuse by the very people they loved and trusted.
‘I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case.’
Kardashian said she feels the results of the trial ‘would have been dramatically different’ if they happened in contemporary times.
‘I also strongly believe that they were denied a fair second trial and that the exclusion of crucial abuse evidence denied Erik and Lyle the opportunity to fully present their case, further undermining the fairness of their conviction,’ Kardashian said.
Kardashian said she felt compelled to speak publicly on the topic ‘with their case back in the spotlight’ amid the Netflix special.
She wrapped up in saying, ‘My hope is that Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences are reconsidered.
‘We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved.’
The reality star said, ‘My hope is that Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences are reconsidered’
Kardashian said in the op-ed piece that Menendez case took a backseat to the O.J. Simpson murder case in Los Angeles. Kardashian’s late father Robert Kardashian (center) was a member of O.J. Simpson’s legal defense team in his murder trial. Pictured in May 1995
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Thursday said his office will review new evidence and also decide whether the case should be considered for resentencing. A hearing was scheduled for November 29. Pictured in 2022
Gascón on Thursday said his office will review new evidence and also decide whether the case should be considered for resentencing. A hearing was scheduled for November 29.
The new evidence presented in a petition includes a letter written by Erik Menendez that his attorneys say corroborates the allegations that he was sexually abused by his father.
Gascón said his office had not yet made any decisions and did not know the ‘validity’ of what was presented at the trial, adding, ‘We will evaluate all of it.’
Gascón, who is seeking reelection, noted that more than 300 people have been resentenced during his term, and only four have gone on to commit a crime again.
In a statement on X posted by his wife, Erik Menendez called the show a ‘dishonest portrayal’ of what happened that has taken them back to a time when prosecutors ‘built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experience rape trauma differently from women.’
The brothers were given life sentences for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
Lyle, who was then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted they fatally shot-gunned their entertainment executive father and their mother, but said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of the father´s long-term sexual molestation of Erik.
Prosecutors contended there was no evidence of any molestation. They said the sons were after their parents´ multimillion-dollar estate. Jurors rejected a death sentence in favor of life without parole.
Ryan Murphy, pictured in LA last month, said Thursday that he would consider doing further episodes pending new developments in the case and if the actors who played the brothers, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, ‘would agree to do it’
Murphy commented on his friend Kardashian’s interest in the issue, as ‘she knew a lot about the case, and she grew up with it’
Ryan Murphy told Variety Thursday that he would consider doing further episodes pending new developments in the case and if the actors who played the brothers, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, ‘would agree to do it.’
Murphy added: ‘I think what I would be interested in doing … is maybe one or two episodes that continue the story.’
Murphy commented on his friend Kardashian’s interest in the issue, as ‘she knew a lot about the case, and she grew up with it.’
Murphy added, ‘But she didn’t know about a lot of the sexual abuse and she immediately became very interested in helping them.
‘So many people are now interested in the case and it speaks to me about the power of television and what it can do. It can shine a spotlight on something and it can illuminate dark corners.’
Murphy told the outlet last week that he did not consider himself to be an advocate for the Menendez brothers.
‘I believe in justice, but I don’t believe in being a part of that machine,’ Murphy said. ‘That’s not my job.
‘My job as an artist was to tell a perspective in a particular story. I feel I’ve done that, but I wish them well. We gave them their moment in the court of public opinion. Basically, we did give them a platform.’
He predicted, ‘I think they can be out of prison by Christmas. I really believe that.’
Kardashian has also focused her efforts toward criminal justice reform, and was instrumental in the 2018 prison release of Alice Marie Johnson. She was pictured in the Oval Office with then-President Donald Trump in May of 2018 amid her criminal justice reform efforts
Kardashian was instrumental in having the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman who received a life sentence in 1996 over nonviolent drug charges, commuted by Trump, Pictured in 2019
Kardashian was pictured in between former White House advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in June of 2019
Kardashian has been passionate about criminal justice and the law, as for the past few years, she has been studying to become a lawyer, following in the footsteps of her late father Robert Kardashian.
After three attempts, she passed the Baby Bar exam in December of 2021, remembering her late parent in an Instagram message she posted announcing the achievement.
‘I know my dad would be so proud and he would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now but he would have been my best study partner,’ she said. ‘I am told he was notorious for making fun of people who didn’t pass on their first attempt like he did, but he would have been my biggest cheerleader!’
Kardashian said that she was fulfilled after her fourth attempt at the legal test was successful.
‘For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me,’ she said. ‘I failed this exam 3 times in 2 years, but I got back up each time and studied harder and tried again until I did it!!!
She added, ‘Bottom line is don’t ever give up even when you are holding on by a thread, you can do it!!!!!
She has also focused her efforts toward criminal justice reform, and was instrumental in the 2018 prison release of Alice Marie Johnson, following a pardon from then-President Donald Trump.
Johnson had been sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent drug offense as result of her 1996 conviction in a drug trafficking ring.