Kim Kardashian Will Pay Rent for a Man Recently Released From Prison

Kim Kardashian has decided to pay five years’ rent for a former inmate who was granted clemency but denied housing because of his past. This has made him very happy.

Matthew Charles, who spent 20 years in prison on charges related to trafficking crack cocaine, was originally released in 2016 after his lawyers argued his case was covered by the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the sentencing disparity between possession of crack cocaine and powder cocaine. In 2018, an appeals court reversed the ruling, meaning Charles would have to return to prison to serve the remainder of his 35 year term, despite committing no additional offenses. But not long after he was sent back, the First Step Act was signed into law in 2018, under which Charles was once again considered and subsequently granted his freedom.

Despite his relief, Charles found himself in the predicament of not being able to find housing upon his release. All of this troubled Kardashian, who according to Us Weekly read about Charles’ plight and decided to help him:

“Kim reached out privately to Matthew yesterday after hearing he was having a hard time getting approved for an apartment and has generously offered to pay five years of his rent,” Tim Hardiman, a senior producer at CMT in Nashville, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, March 11. “He was overwhelmed by Kim’s offer and graciously accepted. Her generosity will allow him to save enough money to eventually put a down payment on a house. It’s truly changed his life.”

Charles expressed his gratitude for Kardashian in a very touching Facebook post:

Kardashian previously advocated for clemency for Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a life sentence without parole as a first-time nonviolent drug offender. (Johnson was released in June 2018.) She has also made repeated trips to the White House to participate in discussions on prison reform. Unfortunately, neither Johnson’s nor Charles’ situations are unique, meaning that while Kardashian’s efforts are noble, she should still look into cloning herself.