Kim Kardashian feared she might have to “dress differently” after stepping into the world of activism. The 44-year-old reality TV star, who has been studying law and campaigning for reforms to the US justice system, admitted she initially worried her glamorous image might clash with her advocacy work after visiting the White House in 2020. Speaking at Diane Von Furstenberg’s DVF Awards in Venice, where she was honoured for her prison reform efforts, Kim said she simply wanted to remain “authentic”.
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Reflecting on her early experiences, she told WWD: “When I first went to the White House, I thought, now do I have to start dressing differently and posting what I post differently? And absolutely not. I want people to see the work that I do and maybe relate to the stuff that I do that’s not my advocacy work, and then maybe be intrigued by that. I think you just have to be yourself. Fight for what you believe in.”
Kim described her introduction to justice reform as a learning curve. “About seven years ago, when I wanted to help get someone out of prison for the first time, I was really naive to our justice system and didn’t really know how it worked until I really did the work and saw what was going on,” she said. She added that she values every opportunity to tell people’s stories and shed light on the issues she is trying to change.
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The star also revealed she would consider returning to the White House to advocate for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were recently denied parole after more than 30 years in prison for the 1989 murder of their parents. “I would love to. They are in a state prison, so the governor is really in charge of that decision, but I would go to any administration and any White House to fight for the rights of people I believe in,” she told Variety.
