Kim Kardashian calls for Menendez brothers to be released

Shortly after Netflix released the series 'Monsters' about the Menendez brothers, Kim Kardashian showed her support for the convicted siblings. In a surprising personal essay published by NBC News, she declared that Lyle and Erik were "not monsters."

The businesswoman claims in her argument that the brothers were treated unfairly by prosecutors and the media, which led to them being "sentenced before the trial began."

For context, Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty, in their family home (pictured) in Beverly Hills, California, in 1989. Erik was 18 and Lyle was 21.

The first trial, held in 1993, was televised and well-known among the general public. The brothers said their father had abused them for years and that they committed their violent acts out of self-defense, fear, and prolonged trauma.

The prosecution, for its part, accused them of murdering their parents to inherit their property. The father was an executive at a record company and had a lot of money.

The prosecutor pointed out how suspicious it was that right after his death, the young men began an excessive lifestyle. It did not look like mourning at all, he claimed.

After the first trial ended without a conclusion, the second trial took place in 1995. By that time, the court did not uphold the defense's argument of abuse and found the brothers guilty.

The brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. They have been in prison ever since.

The case has come back into the spotlight thanks to the Netflix anthology series 'Monsters', created by Ryan Murphy, whose second season addresses the case: 'The Menendez Brothers'.

Photo: Netflix

In late September 2024, Kim Kardashian met the Menendez brothers at a gathering which was also attended by Cooper Koch, the actor who plays Erik in the Netflix series.

Photo: Netflix

Erik Menendez himself criticized Ryan Murphy's series, saying it was a collection of "blatant lies." He was also angry that his brother had been portrayed as a 'caricature.'

Photo: Netflix

"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," Kim Kardashian said in her statement on NBC News.

Photo: Kim Kardashian / Instagram

The businesswoman admits that their actions "are not excusable" but argues that, at that time, resources for victims of abuse were very limited. Especially children and young men like the Menendez brothers would have had a hard time finding help, she claims.

"I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case. Had this crime been committed and tried today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different," Kim Kardashian said.

In fact, the Menendez brothers' lawyers are attempting to challenge the trial, based on evidence that was not accepted in 1995. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles district attorney has stated that he will review all available evidence regarding the possibility of a new sentence or even the release of Erik and Lyle.

Why would Kim Kardashian actually know anything about a court case like this one? Well, as you may know, she has been studying law since 2019 and is on her way to obtaining a law degree.