Kim Kardashian is using her money to help someone else.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum stepped up to pay the bond of a former death row prisoner in Oklahoma, so he could walk out of prison for the first time in almost three decades while awaiting a retrial over a 1997 murder!
According to the Associated Press, Richard Glossip had been sentenced to death for allegedly arranging the murder of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. Prosecutors accused Glossip of paying the handyman, Justin Sneed, $10,000 to kill Treese, who was beaten with a baseball bat. Glossip denies the claim, having always sworn his innocence. In the years since, Glossip has even gained the support of a few celebs, including Kris Jenner‘s OG favorite daughter and Susan Sarandon.
The 63-year-old has narrowly escaped death several times over the years. While on death row, the courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for him. In fact, he came so close that he ate three separate last meals. Glossip was even placed in the cell next to the execution chamber in 2015, waiting to be strapped to the gurney and die by lethal injection. But it never happened! Prison officials at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary reportedly had a massive issue on their hands behind the scenes, all because one of the lethal drugs they received didn’t match the protocols, leading to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in the state!
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Glossip got really lucky at the time, but his good fortune continued! In February 2025, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction and death sentence after determining that the prosecutors allowed a witness to give evidence they knew to be false and therefore violated his right to a fair trial in 1998. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond then announced months later that Glossip is now set to be retried for first-degree murder, but prosecutors will not seek the death penalty again:
“While it was clear to me and to the U.S. Supreme Court that Mr. Glossip did not receive a fair trial, I have never proclaimed his innocence. Unlike past prosecutors who allowed a key witness to lie on the stand, my office will make sure Mr. Glossip receives a fair trial based on hard facts, solid evidence and truthful testimony.”
Flash forward to now, and Judge Natalie Mai set his bond to $500,000. And who paid for it? Kimmy Kakes! According to film producer Scott Budnick, an advocate for Glossip’s release, he wrote on Instagram on Thursday:
“AFTER 29 YEARS INNOCENT ON OKLAHOMA’S DEATH ROW – RICHARD GLOSSIP WALKED OUT AS A FREE MAN THIS AFTERNOON!!!! Well, he has to be released on bail, that was GRACIOUSLY paid for immediately by @kimkardashian who’s been fighting for Rich’s freedom for years. … Thank you to @itsjasonflom and @kimkardashian for putting Richard’s case on my radar. And for amplifying this injustice to millions.”
Because of Kim’s charity, Glossip was released from incarceration on Thursday for the first time in nearly 30 years! Wow!
There are conditions to his release, though. The Associated Press reported that Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device, cannot travel outside of Oklahoma, must not contact any witnesses in the case, and must not consume any drugs or alcohol. Judge Mai added in the order issued on Thursday:
“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip. The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provide all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma the closure they deserve.”
Meanwhile, Glossip is feeling grateful to be free for a bit. He said while leaving prison, holding hands with his wife, Lea Glossip:
“I’m just thankful for my wife and my attorneys. Just thankful. It’s overwhelming, but it’s amazing at the same time.”
His attorney, Donald Knight, added:
“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors.”
Will Richard ended up staying out of prison? We’ll see what happens next with this case! As of this writing, no date has been scheduled for his retrial. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below)!
[Image via Oklahoma County Detention Center, MEGA/WENN]
