Season 6 of The Kardashians, which premiered on February 6, 2025, saw Kris Jenner open up about her connection to Erik and Lyle Menéndez, brothers who were sentenced to life without parole in 1996 for their parents' murders. The 69-year-old cast member revealed she was well-acquainted with them because one of the brothers used to come over in the '80s.
"Oh my god. You know I knew those guys in the '80s. I knew the kids because Erik used to come over and play tennis with your dad [Robert Kardashian] on the weekends," she said.
The Menéndez brothers came into the discussion after Kim Kardashian told Kris and Kendall Jenner that writer and director Ryan Murphy's newest series would focus on the lives of the Menéndez brothers "like how he did Dahmer." Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was released on September 19, 2024, months after The Kardashians was filmed.
Erik and Lyle were arrested on two counts of first-degree murder of their parents, Kitty and José Menéndez, who were found dead in their home. The siblings admitted to murdering their parents after alleging they physically, mentally, and s*xually abused them for years.
"I have a whole different outlook on it" — The Kardashians star Kim comments on the Menéndez brothers' case
While speaking about the Menéndez brothers, Kim recalled how she and her father, Robert Kardashian, who had previously represented O.J. Simpson in his infamous, high-profile criminal trial in 1995, would discuss popular cases together. She revealed they used to live in Beverly Hills when she first heard her father talk about the brothers' case.
"The trial, I think, happened when I was, like, 13 so there were big cases that I would love to talk to my dad about. And, so, this was one of them," Kim said.
The 44-year-old The Kardashians cast member added that her perspective changed after she revisited the case as an adult. While speaking to the cameras, Kim noted:
"Now, being older and seeing it from a different lens, 35 years later, and knowing what I know now about the system, I just have a whole different outlook on it."
Kim visited the siblings in prison shortly after the Monsters series was released. In a personal essay shared with NBC on October 4, 2024, Kim noted how the sensitive case became "entertainment for the nation" and stories of abuse "ridiculed in skits" for Saturday Night Live.
Although she did not excuse "the killings," Kim believed Erik and Lyle's punishment was not right. She further claimed that the siblings were denied a "fair second trial," questioning the legal system for excluding the "crucial evidence" Erik and Lyle had provided regarding their abuse.
"We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved," The Kardashians star said.
Kyle and Erik's cases were concluded as mistrials in 1994 after the jury failed to reach a consensus. In the following year, the siblings were tried together and found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
The premiere of The Kardashians also saw Khloe Kardashian reunite with her former husband and NBA player Lamar Odom, who she was married to from 2009 to 2016. While reflecting on their relationship, Khloe confessed he was the love of her life and someone she cherished with all her "heart and soul."
Despite their past, Khloe stated it was time to "be done with that chapter," refusing to relive the trauma of removing someone close from her life.
The Kardashians airs new episodes every Thursday at 12 am ET on Hulu.