Kim Kardashian was honored in Venice on Thursday night at Diane von Furstenberg’s DVF Awards, which recognized her work as a prison reform advocate. Kardashian took the opportunity to speak out about the justice system and slam President Trump’s immigration policy.
At a roundtable with journalists before receiving the award — which was presented to her by Chris Young, a man she helped free from a life sentence in prison — Kardashian was asked her thoughts on the ongoing ICE raids in the U.S.
“In the news you hear, ‘Oh, it’s about people who have committed these crimes and they’re trying to help out our country.’ But then you hear about all of the people who have worked so hard to build our country, and so many people that are such a part of our country getting affected,” she said. “People I know. People my friends know.”
Kardashian continued that, “You want to believe that there’s a powerful message in protection, but then you see that it’s not really happening like that.” She added, “It’s really tough, but I think that we have to do what we can to protect the people that have really supported and built our country.”
The reality star and entrepreneur has advocated for criminal justice reform for several years now. Young was the second person Kardashian went to the White House on behalf of to ask for their clemency, following Alice Johnson’s pardon in 2020. Arrested at 22 years old, Young was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a lower level drug offense and served 11 years before Trump commuted his sentence in 2021. Since then, Kardashian has also called for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are both serving life sentences after being convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. The brothers were recently denied parole.
When asked by Variety if she had any plans to go back to the White House to advocate for prison reform and if that could include the Menendez brothers, she said she “would love to.”
“[The Menendez brothers] 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 said.
Young also spoke with reporters before the awards ceremony kicked off, expressing his gratitude for Kardashian. The 37-year-old is now graduating with a degree from SMU and has a memoir on the way.
“The late, great Tupac said: ‘We all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, got our game from a woman.’ We need to respect our women, and especially someone like Kim Kardashian,” he said. “She has all the success in the world — she did not have to make the decision to help people in prison. So that shows compassion. Compassion is different from empathy, because compassion has action.”
Von Furstenberg then interjected from across the room: “Oh, that’s a good one. Compassion is action. I’m going to use that.”
Kicking off the ceremony, von Furstenberg declared that the theme of the night was celebrating “victory over oppression.” Besides Kardashian, the other honorees included Christy Turlington Burns, for her foundation Every Mother Counts; Sudanese activist Hanin Ahmed; Indigenous and environmental rights defender Fany Kuiru Castro; and Giulia Minoli, president of the domestic violence awareness organization Una Nessuna Centomila.
“The mission of these awards has always been to support and amplify the voice of women who have demonstrated the courage to fight, the strength to survive and the leadership to inspire,” the celebrated fashion designer said when opening the ceremony. “In this moment of chaos and darkness in the world, it is more important than ever to focus on finding the light. Look for the light, however tiny it is.”
After Young delivered an impassioned introduction praising Kardashian’s courage and empathy, she took to the stage in a chic grey dress. “The real honor tonight isn’t me receiving this award, it’s seeing you standing here free,” Kardashian said to Young. “Chris, you embody everything this award stands for: your passion, your courage, your brilliance and your resilience. Thank you for letting me be part of your fight.”
Kardashian affirmed that she will continue to make prison reform her “mission,” especially after finishing her law degree earlier this year.
“Chris’ potential, his humanity, lit a fire in me. It showed me that this work is not just about changing laws, but about saving lives,” she concluded. “My journey in criminal justice reform is ongoing and I hope to inspire bigger conversations and create further awareness where everyone can work together on this crucial issue. It’s time for a real systematic change to restore hope and give these people a fair chance at life and the opportunity for redemption after incarceration.”
