Kim Kardashian has met Alice Marie Johnson for the first time today, a week after Johnson was freed, with the reality star's help, from serving a life sentence in prison over a first-time non-violent drug offense.
Though the duo has spoken on the phone before, they finally met face-to-face at Johnson's home in Mississippi to film their first joint interview for The Today Show. Host Hoda Kotb posed for a photo with the duo. Their sit-down will air tomorrow morning.
AP also captured a video of the social media star with Johnson today.
Kardashian and her attorney, Shawn Holley, flew from LA to meet Johnson and her family, TMZ reported earlier today. Surprisingly, the reality star hasn't shared any updates about the meeting on social media yet (perhaps she's waiting until the interview broadcasts), but the long-awaited encounter was surely emotional.
'I'm gonna cry so much when I see her,' Kim said, tearing up, while speaking to CNN last week.
Kardashian also had an emotional phone call with Johnson, where she was the first to reveal the news that she'd be released from jail. 'We cried maybe on the phone for like three minutes straight,' she told CNN.
Kardashian first became interested in Johnson's case last fall after watching a viral video of her sentencing. In the months following, Kardashian connected with lawyers and the White House in hopes of freeing the 63-year-old great-grandmother, who had already served nearly 22 years in prison.
Last Wednesday, the White House announced Johnson's sentence would be commuted, citing the fact she has 'accepted responsibility for her past behaviour' and acted as a 'model prisoner'.
'While this administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those that have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance,' a statement read.
The announcement arrived a week after Kardashian visited President Trump at the White House to discuss prison reform and urge him to grant clemency to Johnson.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
