Numerous celebrities have called for the release of Cyntoia Brown after she was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man who, she claims, hired her as a sex slave and abused her.
Tennessee-born Brown, now 29, says she was just 16 years old when she was sold to a Nashville realtor named Johnny Allen in 2004. She claims she killed him for fear he would kill her first.
Brown told Nashville police she did not know who Allen was before he solicited her for sex. She alleges he showed her his guns before they got into bed together, and claimed that at one point he reached for what she thought was a gun, so she shot him.
Brown said she then took money from Allen’s wallet along with two guns before driving his truck to a nearby Walmart parking lot.
Despite claiming she shot Allen in self-defence, the jury found Brown guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree felony murder and especially aggravated robbery.
Brown has already spent 13 years in jail and has now been told she won’t be eligible for parole for another 51 years.
Stars and social media users took to Twitter in droves to voice their disgust, using the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown.
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Kim Kardashian wrote, “The system has failed. It’s heart breaking to see a young girl sex trafficked then when she has the courage to fight back is jailed for life!”
Bella Thorne said, “I f**king hate our system,” and “feels so wrecked about this,” while Cara Delevingne called the justice system “so backwards and completely insane.”
Rihanna shared on Instagram, “did we somehow change the definition of #JUSTICE along the way?? cause….. Something is horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away for life!”
