Kim Kardashian Posts $500,000 Bail for Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip

After nearly three decades on death row, Richard Glossip walked out of an Oklahoma prison on Thursday, May 14, a free man—at least temporarily. The U.S. Supreme Court had vacated his conviction in February 2025, ruling that prosecutors in his original 1998 trial allowed a witness to testify knowing the testimony was false, a violation that stripped him of a fair trial. Now, thanks to a $500,000 bail posted by Kim Kardashian, the 63-year-old has been released while he awaits retrial for the 1997 killing of motel owner Barry Van Treese.

Glossip’s journey through the criminal justice system reads like a nightmare that wouldn’t quit. He was scheduled for execution nine separate times and was served a last meal on at least three occasions—a grim detail that underscores how close he came to death despite maintaining his innocence throughout. Prosecutors allege he ordered the murder of his former boss, but his case has long drawn support from prominent advocates, including actress Susan Sarandon and Kardashian, who has made criminal justice reform a signature cause.

The bail conditions are strict: Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device, cannot leave Oklahoma, has no contact with trial witnesses, and cannot use drugs or alcohol. His attorney, Donald Knight, framed the release as vindication of sorts.“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.

What comes next is a retrial. In June 2025, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced plans to reprosecute Glossip for first-degree murder but pledged not to seek the death penalty this time around. Drummond acknowledged the unfairness of the original trial but stopped short of declaring innocence.“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,”he said, promising a prosecution built on“hard facts, solid evidence and truthful testimony”—a stark contrast to the contaminated case that came before.

Judge Natalie Mai expressed hope that this retrial would provide“closure”to all parties and to Oklahoma citizens. For Glossip, who emerged from prison holding his wife Lea’s hand and describing the moment as“overwhelming, but amazing,”closure can’t come soon enough. The Supreme Court’s intervention proves that even after decades, the system can recognize its failures. Whether a fresh trial will truly deliver justice—for Glossip or for the victim’s family—remains to be seen.