It looks like Ray J is following in the footsteps of his ex-girlfriend, Kim Kardashian. According to The Source, William Norwood Jr. aka Ray J is trying to talk the Trump administration into releasing Marion “Suge” Knight from prison.
Suge is currently in prison serving time after he pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in a fatal 2015 hit-and-run and reached a plea deal for a 28-year sentence.
According to Daily Mail, Ray J’s move follows Kardashian’s own efforts in criminal justice reform that saw Trump grant former drug trafficker Alice Johnson clemency in 2018. She also played a part in getting another prisoner, Momolu Stewart, released after meeting him at the prison while she was shooting for her upcoming documentary Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project. According to Oxygen, after meeting him, she wrote a letter of support to the judge and as a result, his life sentence was reduced to time served plus three days by Washington D.C. Judge Robert Salerno on Oct. 4. He was also given five years of probation.
“Ray J is very competitive and always has been. He saw what Kim was able to do with her work in the criminal justice system with the Trump administration and he is determined to show he can do the same,” a source told DailyMailTV. “He’s adamant that he can convince Trump to pardon Suge and that people will respect him for doing so.”
It’s being reported that Ray J has been trying to meet with Trump at the White House, but the administration has been pushing for the entertainer to join the president on the road at one of his political rallies. Ray J has been invited to fly with the president on Air Force One to rallies in Lake Charles, Louisiana, or Dallas, Texas but couldn’t make it due to scheduling conflicts.
Ray J seems to think he won’t face similar backlash that has affected other black entertainers, like Steve Harvey and Chrisette Michele, who have aligned themselves with the divisive Trump. He feels he’ll survive and maybe thrive like Kanye West has in the eyes of his true fans.