Kyle Rittenhouse is hoping to set the record straight about his life and upbringing as well as the events leading up to the fateful 2020 evening in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that changed his life forever.
On Aug. 25, 2020, Rittenhouse shot three men in self-defense during a Black Lives Matter riot. Two of those men died from their injuries, and Rittenhouse was charged with murder. The televised trial resulted in Rittenhouse's acquittal on all counts.
While legally cleared, Rittenhouse says a persistently false "narrative" was created about him that he couldn’t control, and now he wants to set the record straight for the court of public opinion.
"The reason I decided to write a book is there are so many narratives about me, some right from wrong, and I just wanted to finally put it all to rest and tell my story. I wanted to tell what my childhood was, about how I grew up, who the true me was and how I got to where I am today," Rittenhouse told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Part of that false narrative, Rittenhouse says, is that he comes from means.
"I see a lot of people who will say ‘Kyle grew up wealthy had everything handed to him his entire life.’ When in reality I grew up in poverty," Rittenhouse said.
"I grew up homeless. I was on welfare, food stamps, and people don't realize that."
"I’m hoping that people learn that from my book – it wasn't easy. Growing up. I had a drug addict dad and I had a mom who was working 80-hour weeks," he described.
In the book, Rittenhouse describes how he dealt with panic attacks and post-traumatic stress, and how a golden retriever named Milo helped him cope.
Rittenhouse also discusses in the book those whom he describes as "grifters" – public figures who tried to take advantage of him and his case to make money.
In speaking to Fox News, Rittenhouse praised political figures like former President Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who spoke out in his defense early on. Others, like Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, only showed support after a non-guilty verdict was rendered, according to Rittenhouse.
"There's a handful of politicians that I trust, and the rest I tread very lightly on," Rittenhouse said.
Rittenhouse writes that "a decade from now, I hope to show others the love and help they need. I hope that whatever I am doing, and wherever I am doing it, I help others know they are not alone when it matters most."
"A decade from now, I want my life to be defined not by what I did in 2020 but by what I will do from this day forward. I do not need to be remembered, but I do feel called to make a difference," he said.
