Kim Kardashian has shown her support for the Menendez brothers — the most recent subjects of Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters” series — as the Los Angeles district attorney announced the office is reviewing the case over 20 years later.
In a personal essay published by NBC News Thursday, the Skims founder advocated on behalf of Erik and Lyle Menendez, saying she believes the brothers “are not monsters” and hopes their “life sentences are reconsidered.”
In her letter, Kardashian, who passed the “baby bar” in 2021, said she believes the brothers “were condemned before [their] trial even began” due to the media attention surrounding the crime.
Erik and Lyle were convicted in 1996 for the 1989 murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in their Beverly Hills, Calif., home. They were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after two trials. The brothers were 19 and 21 at the time of the murders.
“Erik and Lyle’s case became entertainment for the nation, their suffering and stories of abuse ridiculed in skits on ‘Saturday Night Live,’” Kardashian wrote, noting that she felt the brothers committed the crime out of self-defense after “years of abuse and a real fear for their lives.”
“The media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalized eye candy — two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed. There was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy.”
She went on to describe Erik and Lyle as “kind, intelligent, and honest men” as she argued that the brothers’ claim of sexual abuse at the hands of their parents would have been taken more seriously had they been girls since “public awareness of the trauma of male sexual abuse was minimal [at the time].”
“In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records,” she continued, noting their multiple college degrees and their work as caregivers.
“We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped, or saved.”
“I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case,” Kardashian added, noting that she feels the outcome of their trials would be “dramatically different” if they were tried today.
LA District Attorney George Gascón announced on Thursday the brothers’ trial would be reviewed, saying the office has a “moral and ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us.”
Though Gascòn did not share what parts of the case would be under review, according to the New York Times, his comments insinuated that the office would be looking into the sexual abuse claims.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
