Kim Kardashian reportedly helped pay the $500,000 bail that secured the release of former death row inmate Richard Glossip, who spent nearly three decades behind bars in Oklahoma for a 1997 murder conviction that was later overturned.
Glossip, 63, walked out of the Oklahoma County Detention Center in street clothes on Thursday after a judge granted bond while he awaits a new trial in the killing of motel owner Barry Van Treese. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated Glossip’s conviction in 2025, ruling prosecutors allowed false testimony during his original trial.
Film producer Scott Budnick, a longtime advocate for Glossip, shared on Instagram that Kardashian posted the bond shortly after it was set. Budnick wrote in the post that Glossip was “released on bail that was GRACIOUSLY paid for immediately by @kimkardashian who’s been fighting for Rich’s freedom for years.”
The ruling marks the first time Glossip has been out of custody since his arrest nearly 30 years ago. During that time, he came within hours of execution multiple times. He ate three separate last meals and, in 2015, waited in a holding cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber before a last-minute drug mix-up halted the execution.
On Thursday, Judge Natalie Mai issued an order setting bond at $500,000. To be freed, Glossip’s attorney stated he needed to post 10 percent of his total $500,000 bond, which amounted to $50,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol.
Judge Mai ultimately ruled that, based on the evidence presented, the court could not constitutionally deny Glossip bail.
“Based on the ample record at this point in time, the Court finds that it cannot deny bail to Glossip while adhering to the clear constitutional mandate,” the order states.
In making the decision, the judge pointed to a statement made by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond in 2023 regarding the weakness of the case.
“Although [Glossip] may be guilty of first degree murder, the record (complete with new evidence that the jury did not hear nor consider in rendering its verdict and death sentence) does not support that he is guilty of first degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Glossip appeared emotional as he left prison Thursday wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt and jeans and holding hands with his wife, Lea Glossip.
“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 legal team celebrated. “Today, we finally see some level of justice for Mr. Glossip,” David Weiss, who co-led Reed Smith’s pro bono investigation, told The Independent following news of the judge’s decision.
“This case was heavily flawed from the outset, and murder charges never should have been filed against Mr. Glossip, who has suffered from two unfair trials and been on verge of execution three times.”
Weiss added: “That it takes so many people, working literally tens of thousands of hours, to convince five Supreme Court justices that his conviction was so flawed, suggests that our system of justice needs serious reform.”
Glossip’s attorney, Donald Knight, said the release gives Glossip an opportunity to experience life outside prison while his legal fight continues.
“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,” Knight said.
Glossip’s conviction and death sentence were overturned in February 2025 after the Supreme Court found prosecutors violated his constitutional right to a fair trial by allowing testimony they knew to be false from a key witness in his 1998 trial.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond later announced the state would retry Glossip for first-degree murder but would 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 at the time.
“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.”
In granting bond, Mai acknowledged the high-profile nature of the case while emphasizing the importance of a fair retrial.
“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip,” Mai wrote in her order. “The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provide all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma the closure they deserve.”
Glossip was originally sentenced to death in connection with the 1997 killing of Van Treese in Oklahoma City in what prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire scheme. Glossip has consistently maintained his innocence.
His case drew international attention over the years, including support from actress Susan Sarandon and Kardashian, who has become increasingly involved in criminal justice reform efforts. Glossip’s story was also featured in the 2017 documentary Killing Richard Glossip.
