Emily and Shane Simpson Defend Kim Kardashian’s Bar Exam Results

Emily Simpson and Shane Simpson believe Kim Kardashian deserves credit instead of criticism for failing to pass the bar exam.

“I have to give her so much credit, because she’s a billionaire,” Emily, 49, exclusively shared with Us Weekly while hosting a fundraiser for The Innocence Center on Sunday, November 23. “She doesn’t need a law degree. She doesn’t need to pass the bar. The fact that she did it, went through with it, didn’t pass and then said she’s going to take it again? I think it’s inspiring and commendable.”

Before becoming a star of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Emily practiced law for many years in California and Utah. In season 16, viewers discovered her husband, Shane, passed the bar exam after failing on his first try.

Earlier this month, Kardashian, 45, revealed she didn’t pass the bar exam six years into her law journey.

“I’m still all in until I pass the bar,” she wrote via her Instagram Stories on November 8. “No shortcuts, no giving up — just more studying and even more determination. Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me along the way so far. Falling short isn’t a failure — it’s fuel. I was so close to passing the exam and that only motivates me even more.”

While Emily and Shane previously discussed Kardashian’s results on their iHeartRadio “Legally Brunette” podcast, the couple wanted to reiterate how impressed they were with The Kardashians star for not giving up.

“You’ve got to think she is juggling literally a billion-dollar empire, fashion businesses, reality TV, children, Kanye West, a lot of things,” Shane said at Five Vines Wine Bar in San Juan Capistrano, California. “It’s impressive that she’s even trying, and it’s impressive that she leaned into it and said, ‘I’m gonna do it again’ and she’s gonna keep doing it till she passes. That’s impressive because we all know she doesn’t have to for financial reasons. … I don’t think people should be mocking it.”

Although Shane admitted it will likely take Kardashian “a couple times” to pass the exam, he argued that once she passes, there’s no stopping her.

“A lot of people say, ‘I wouldn’t take legal advice from someone who didn’t pass the bar.’ No one goes to an attorney and says, ‘How many times did you take the bar?’” he explained. “They want to know their experience. They want to know if they’re going to satisfy all their wishes and answer their questions. Are they professional? What is the rate? I’ve never gone to a doctor and asked, ‘How many times did you take the board?’”

Related: Kim Kardashian Shares Video of Herself Crying After Failing to Pass the Bar

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Kim Kardashian isn’t afraid to pull back the curtain on the not-so-glamorous moments of her high-profile life. “I’ve shared so much of this journey with you, and this summer I documented some of the final two weeks of studying — the ups, the downs and everything in between,” Kardashian, 45, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, […]

During Sunday’s event, Emily and Shane used their passion for the law and continued to show their support for The Innocence Center.

Featuring appearances by The Real Housewives of Orange County costars Shannon Beador and Gina Kirschenheiter, the event (sponsored by Swirl Boutique) helped raise more than $15,000 for the independent nonprofit law firm dedicated to freeing the innocent from prison, educating the public on the causes of wrongful conviction and assisting freed clients as they reenter society.

“I have to give Bravo credit that they always highlight the cause for the past five years. I think that’s amazing,” Emily told Us. “I think they do because it’s something that people don’t think about or know about. And then the stories are so compelling and so tragic, yet interesting and compelling and beautiful. There’s the light at the end of the tunnel.”