Kim Kardashian posts bail for former death row prisoner awaiting retrial

Kim Kardashian has been an advocate for criminal justice reform, and now, she’s put her money where her mouth is.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Kim Kardashian attends the "All's Fair" London Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on October 22, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

The reality TV star reportedly posted bail for Richard Glossip, according to film producer Scott Budnick, a longtime advocate for Glossip’s release who posted the information on Instagram.

Glossip has spent nearly 30 years in prison in Oklahoma after being convicted of the 1997 murder of motel owner Barry Van Treese, Glossip’s boss, according to the AP. Van Treese was beaten with a baseball bat, and prosecutors alleged that Glossip ordered the murder-for-hire.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: Reality television star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian attends a roundtable discussion on criminal justice reform hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on April 25, 2024 in Washington, DC. The meeting included four of the sixteen people who had been convicted of non-violent drug offenses in the past and received clemency from President Joe Biden earlier this week. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Glossip, who maintains his innocence, had been sentenced to death, but narrowly escaped execution nine different times, even eating his “last meal” three times. However, after prison officials learned that one of the lethal drugs they received didn’t match execution protocols, Glossip’s life was temporarily spared.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to knowingly give false testimony violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial and ultimately threw out the conviction.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: Kim Kardashian West speaks during an East Room event on “second chance hiring” June 13, 2019 at the White House in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump held the event to highlight the achievements on Second Chance hiring and workforce development. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond decided to retry Glossip on a murder charge, although he would not be seeking the death penalty. Glossip remained in prison until Thursday, when Kardashian posted his $500,000 bail. While walking free, he must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside the state. He may also not contact any witnesses or consume any drugs or alcohol.