Kim Kardashian has helped pay the $500,000 bond that secured the release of former death row inmate Richard Glossip, who spent nearly 30 years in prison in Oklahoma for a murder conviction later overturned. Glossip, 63, walked out of the Oklahoma County Detention Center on Thursday after a judge granted bail while he awaits a new trial.
Film producer Scott Budnick, a longtime advocate for Glossip, said on Instagram that Kardashian posted the bond shortly after it was set. Budnick wrote that Glossip was 'released on bail that was GRACIOUSLY paid for immediately by @kimkardashian who’s been fighting for Rich’s freedom for years.'
Glossip's conviction was vacated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2025, which ruled that prosecutors allowed false testimony during his original trial for the 1997 murder of motel owner Barry Van Treese. Judge Natalie Mai set bond at $500,000, requiring 10 percent, or $50,000, for release. Glossip must wear an electronic monitor, not travel outside Oklahoma, avoid witnesses, and abstain from drugs or alcohol.
Glossip appeared emotional as he left prison, holding hands with his wife, Lea. 'I’m just thankful for my wife and my attorneys. Just thankful,' he said. 'It’s overwhelming, but it’s amazing at the same time.' His attorney, Donald Knight, said the release gives Glossip 'the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice.'
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has said the state will retry Glossip for first-degree murder but will not seek the death penalty. '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,' Drummond said.
