Kim Kardashian Pens Essay Hoping Erik & Lyle Menendez’s Life Sentences Are Reconsidered: “They Are Not Monsters”
Kim Kardashian is advocating for Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences for killing their parents to be reconsidered.
After spending time with the brothers, the reality TV personality and criminal justice advocate penned an essay for NBC News where she made the case for them.
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“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!” Kardashian writes in a personal essay.
She continued, “You think you know the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. I certainly thought I did: In 1989, the brothers, aged 21 and 18, respectively, viciously shot and killed their parents in their Beverly Hills home. In 1996, after two trials, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As is often the case, this story is much more complex than it appears on the surface. Both brothers said they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents.”
The essay comes after L.A. District Attorney George Gascón said his office was “reviewing” the case and set a hearing for November 29 that could lead to a resentencing or retrial.
“The first trial was televised for all to see, and 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. “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.”
The American Horror Story: Delicate actress noted that the Menendez brothers “had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop” and said “there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse” at the time.
“There were virtually no systems in place to support survivors, and public awareness of the trauma of male sexual abuse was minimal, often clouded by preconceived judgments and homophobia,” she added.
Kardashian added, “I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men. In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records.”
“The killings are not excusable. I want to make that clear. Nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime. But we should not deny who they are today in their 50s. The trial and punishment these brothers received were more befitting a serial killer than two individuals who endured years of sexual abuse by the very people they loved and trusted.”
RELATED: ‘Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story’ Cast And Character Guide: Who Plays Who?
Kardashian ended her essay by writing, “With their case back in the spotlight — and considering the revelation of a 1988 letter from Erik to his cousin describing the abuse — 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.”
The renewed interest for the Menendez brothers comes amid the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, created by Ryan Murphy, with whom Kardashian has a working relationship.
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