Kim Kardashian recently shared a personal essay with NBC News, backing the Menendez brothers and stating that she believes they are not monsters. The reality TV star and entrepreneur, who has been an advocate for criminal justice reform, argues that Lyle and Erik Menendez were treated unfairly by prosecutors and in the media. The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills home and Kardashian is urging for their life sentences to be reconsidered. She believes that they were condemned before the trial even began and that they deserve another chance.
The Los Angeles County district attorney has announced that his office will review possible evidence to determine if the Menendez brothers should be resentenced and maybe even released. The case of the brothers has gained renewed interest with the release of the Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and an upcoming documentary on Netflix, “The Menendez Brothers.” Kardashian met the brothers last month during a prison reform discussion at a California prison, along with actor Cooper Koch who portrays Erik Menendez in the series. Erik Menendez has criticized the portrayal of his life in the Netflix series, calling it a lie.
During the brothers’ trials in the 1990s, they claimed that their father sexually abused them for years, leading to their act of self-defense against their parents. However, prosecutors argued that the murders were committed for financial gain. The brothers were first tried separately, ending in hung juries, and then retried together where most of the abuse allegations were deemed inadmissible. They were ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Kardashian acknowledges that their crimes were not excusable, but she believes that spending their entire lives incarcerated was not the appropriate punishment for the complex case.
Kim Kardashian argues that resources for victims of sexual abuse, especially boys, were limited at the time of the Menendez brothers’ trial. She believes that had the crime been committed and tried today, the outcome would have been different. The brothers’ attorneys are seeking to challenge their imprisonment based on new evidence that was not known during the trial. Kardashian has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, having participated in roundtable discussions at the White House and lobbying for the release of nonviolent offenders. She has used her celebrity platform to bring attention to cases like that of the Menendez brothers.
