Kim Kardashian West got candid about her struggle to get Alice Johnson’s jail sentence commuted before she met with President Donald Trump in May during Sunday’s episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
The KUWTK season finale centered on Kardashian’s fight to get Johnson, a non-violent drug offender, out of prison after 21 years. Ultimately, the effort was a success, ending with Trump granting Johnson clemency in June.
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However, the journey was never easy, as Kardashian outlined in the new episode.
“Six months ago, I stumbled across a story of Alice Marie Johnson,” Kardashian explained on the E! Network show. “I first started with retweeting the story and I just kept on watching it over and just feeling how unfair this is and hoping that I could reach out and make a difference.”
In another scene, Kardahsian is seen telling big sister Kourtney Kardashian she felt Johnson’s life sentence was “just not fair.” So, she decided to reach out to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner.
“It’s just tricky because they’ve asked me to go and talk to Trump about why Alice should get out,” Kardashian explained. “And I’ve been so straightforward with Jared that, you know, I have different views. I was at Hillary [Clinton] fundraisers.”
Still, Kardashian insisted on talking to “whoever I need to talk to” to get this done. Even after the Trump administration told her they wanted 1,000 letters in Johnson’s support, Kardashian kept fighting for what she felt was right.
“Things keep moving and changing and it’s all really frustrating,” Kardashian said. “But I definitely don’t want to let Alice down, so it just pushes me even more to want to fight for her.”
Kardashian and her attorney, Shawn Holley, eventually got the meeting with Trump they wanted so she could make her case in person. During the May meeting, Kardashian wore a watch once owned by the late former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
In June, Trump officially granted Johnson clemency, and Kardarshian got to tell Johnson about the success herself.
“I’m sorry, I thought you knew,” Kardashian told Johnson over the phone in one KUWTK scene. “The news just broke, the president just called me and he told me that you are out. He signed the papers, it’s been released to the press and everything.”
Johnson was convicted in 1996 for her involvement in cocaine trafficking in Memphis and received a life sentence. The 64-year-old became a grandmother and great-grandmother while in prison.
The KUWTK season finale included the moment Kardashian met Johnson in person.
“People recognize me now and they’re in tears hugging me and telling me how happy they are that I’ve come back home,” Johnson said. “I don’t know these people, but they’re so happy for me. It’s just love, it’s like a lovefest.”
Kardashian said the entire experience left her with a newfound sense of purpose.
“I feel like I used to live my life so much about just being passionate about me,” the reality TV superstar said. “Now my priorities have shifted, so I’m really excited about this year and what I can do to help other people.”
Photo credit: E! Network
