Kim Kardashian remains steadfast in her support of the Menendez brothers as she stakes her claim to be their No. 1 celebrity ally and friend once they’re finally released from behind bars, a source exclusively tells In Touch.
“Erik and Lyle are truly grateful for all that Kim has done for them so far. She’s brought a powerful, high-profile voice to their cause, and she’s been unwavering in her commitment, there’s really no way to quantify what her support has done for them,” the insider says.
The SKIMS founder, 43, who is currently studying to become a lawyer, voiced her support for the decision made by Los Angeles prosecutors to recommend the brothers’ be resentenced for the 1989 murder of their parents.
As a prison reform advocate, Kim has previously lobbied both the Trump and Biden administrations to reduce the sentences of several inmates convicted of non-violent offenses. The source says that the media mogul is “so much more than what people see on reality T.V.”
Inspired by her late father, Robert Kardashian, a lawyer and member of O.J. Simpson’s legal dream team, Kim made the decision to pursue a law degree outside of the standard three-year course, but still eventually have to pass the Bar Exam in California. The insider tells Kim “has her father’s sense of justice in her blood,” adding that “when she believes in someone deserves a second chance, she goes all in to make it happen.”
The mother of four noted that the Menendez brothers, who were initially found guilty of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, during a second trial in 1996 after their first ended in a mistrial, could be released within as little as six months following the prosecution’s recommendation.
“We are all products of our experiences. They shape who we were, who we are and who we will be. Physiologically and psychologically, time changes us, and I doubt anyone would claim to be the same person they were at 18. I know I’m not!” The icon wrote in an essay published on October 3, in which she discussed her reasoning for taking up the brothers’ cause.
The source adds that “She’s had deep, intellectual conversations with Erik and Lyle and she genuinely believes in them. They’re not just a cause for her, she considers them friends and when they do get out, which she believes will happen soon, they’ll be like fish out of water.”
Kim also wrote in the essay that she believes the two were “sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents,” adding that “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.”
As it’s looking likely they may walk free soon, the insider says, “They’re going to need real friends who understand the pressures of fame – and Kim wants to be that person.”
Considering her vast experience navigating the media world, “She’s committed to guiding through all the insanity Hollywood has to offer, especially with how much it’s changed over the last 40 years.”
