Current:Home > FinanceSurpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Kim Kardashian Defends Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez From "Monsters" Label, Calls for Prison Release -FundPrime
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Kim Kardashian Defends Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez From "Monsters" Label, Calls for Prison Release
Algosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-09 09:52:31
Kim Kardashian is Surpassing Quant Think Tank Centerspeaking out in support of Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez.
Amid renewed interest in the brothers’ 1989 killings of their parents, José Menendez and Kitty Menendez—which is chronicled in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story—the reality star explained why she feels the brothers’ life sentences should be “reconsidered.”
“I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters,” she declared in an NBC News op-ed published Oct. 3. “They are kind, intelligent, and honest men.”
The SKIMS founder—who met with the brothers at their San Diego prison Sept. 21 alongside Monsters star Cooper Koch—also highlighted Lyle and Erik’s “exemplary” records in prison, adding that at least two dozen of their family members have called for their release.
“When I visited the prison three weeks ago,” Kim wrote, “one of the wardens told me he would feel comfortable having them as neighbors.”
While the Kardashians star called for a reevaluation of the brothers’ case—in which they were found guilty of first degree murder following two jury trials—she did not absolve them of their misdeeds.
“The killings are not excusable. I want to make that clear,” the 43-year-old added. “Nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime. But we should not deny who they are today in their 50s.”
Kim also explained that Erik and Lyle have made allegations that they had been “sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents,” so she believes they did “what they thought at the time was their only way out” in killing the couple.
“I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case,” she continued. “Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different.”
The essay came on the same day as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine if the brothers should be resentenced. Gascón’s office is also reviewing potential new evidence which could support the brothers’ allegation that they were physically and sexually abused by their father.
While Kim has expressed her wish for the brothers to get a second chance, Monsters creator Ryan Murphy was more critical after Erik slammed the series.
“The thing that the Menendez brothers and their people neglect is that we were telling a story that was a very broad canvas,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in a piece published Oct. 1. “We had an obligation to so many people, not just to Erik and Lyle. But that's what I find so fascinating; that they're playing the victim card right now—'poor, pitiful us'—which I find reprehensible and disgusting.”
However, actor Cooper Koch—who played Erik Menendez in the hit Netflix drama—called the brothers “such upstanding individuals” after spending time with them.
“They committed the crime when they were 18 and 21 years old, and at the time, it was really hard for people to believe that male-on-male sexual abuse could occur, especially with father and son,” he told Variety in September. “But now, after 35 years, we have so much more evidence of child sexual abuse and male-on-male sexual abuse that I think they do deserve to be retried.”
E! News has reached out to the Menendezes’ lawyers for comment but hasn’t heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (5)
Related
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Taylor Swift starts acoustic set with call to help fan on final night in Gelsenkirchen
- Endangered tiger cubs make their public debut at zoo in Germany
- Man sentenced in prison break and fatal brawl among soccer fans outside cheesesteak shop
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- At least 40 dead after boat catches fire as migrants try to escape Haiti, officials say
- Ten Commandments posters won't go in Louisiana classrooms until November
- This Minnesota mother wants to save autistic children from drowning, one city at a time
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 'The Dealership,' a parody of 'The Office,' rockets Chevy dealer to social media stardom
Ranking
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- British Open 2024 highlights: Daniel Brown slips up; Billy Horschel leads entering Round 4
- Singer Ayres Sasaki Dead at 35 After Being Electrocuted on Stage
- Man sentenced in prison break and fatal brawl among soccer fans outside cheesesteak shop
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- 2024 British Open Sunday tee times: When do Billy Horschel, leaders tee off?
- Psst! J.Crew Is Offering an Extra 70% off Their Sale Right Now, Including Chic Summer Staples & More
- As a scholar, he’s charted the decline in religion. Now the church he pastors is closing its doors
Recommendation
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Apple just released a preview of iOS 18. Here's what's new.
Man fatally shot in apparent road-rage incident in Indianapolis; police investigating
How to spot misinformation: 5 tips from CBS News Confirmed
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
Gabby Douglas Reveals Future Olympic Plans After Missing 2024 Paris Games
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify Monday about Trump shooting
Apparent samurai sword attack leaves woman dead near LA; police investigating