There’s no business like show business.
Kim Kardashian is one of the producers of The Fear of 13, a play starring actors Tessa Thompson and Adrien Brody that honestly depicts the wrongful conviction of Nick Yarris.
“Criminal justice reform has been a very personal mission of mine for the past 10 years,” the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star said in a video shared to her Instagram Stories on Monday.
“I have seen firsthand how this system breaks down, and I have been dedicated to fighting for those who have been silenced,” she added.
Kardashian, 45, said the play will tell the “powerful true story” of Yaris, who spent more than 20 years on death row for a crime he did not commit.
“Theatre has a unique power to move us. When you experience a story like this live, it stays with you. It challenges you to see the human behind the statistics,” she continued.
“My hope is that this piece sparks a real conversation about the true meaning of justice,” the reality star said.
In a statement, Kardashian said her “commitment” to criminal justice reform “has always been about people, not just policy.”
“I’ve learned that sometimes the most effective way to change hearts is through a powerful story, and 13 Year Old Fear is that story,” she added.
“This is a raw and honest portrayal of Nick Yarris’ wrongful conviction and the systemic failures that kept him in prison for 20 years. I couldn’t be more proud to make my Broadway producing debut on a project with such significance.”
In 1982, Yarris, 65, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder, rape, and kidnapping of Linda Mae Craig, who was kidnapped from a shopping center in Delaware.
Yaris maintains his innocence but demands that DNA testing be done on the evidence at the crime scene.
A breakthrough finally occurred in 2003, when Dr. Edward Blake performed final tests on gloves found in the victim’s car, fingernail scrapings from the victim, and remaining sperm from the deceased’s pants.
In the same year, Yaris was removed from all biological material related to this crime and the court annulled his conviction. However, Yarris remained in prison because he still had a 30-year sentence left on his 1985 Florida jailbreak conviction.
The following year, the state reduced his sentence to 17 years in prison and he was released from a Pennsylvania prison.
Yaris currently works as an activist, author, and one of the producers of “The Fear of 13.”
Meanwhile, Kim is training to become a lawyer, just like her late father Robert Kardashian. The “Skims co-founder” passed the California “baby bar” in December 2021, but failed the California bar last year.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum has worked to secure the freedom of several people serving life sentences for drug crimes, including Alice Marie Johnson.
