Kim Kardashian is facing every survivor’s worst nightmare, re-living a horrific trauma and unravelling it in a courtroom full of strangers. Her understated yet powerful outfit is a statement of strength and defiance.
The reality star has arrived in Paris to testify against the man who robbed her at gunpoint in 2016. Nearly a decade later, the trial is finally opening at the Palais de Justice in Paris, and Kardashian has taken the stand to recount the harrowing night that threatened her, her children, and her sister, Kourtney Kardashian.
The business mogul recalled the night a group of 10 men broke into her Paris hotel room, bound her with cable ties, pointed a gun at her, and stole $9 million worth of jewelry, according to the Associated Press.
“I literally thought I was going to die,” she reportedly said in court. She recalled pleading with them, telling them, “I have a baby.” One of them responded that she would be fine as long as she kept quiet.
She walked into the courthouse wearing a black blazer, a long slit skirt, slingback heels and Alaïa face mask sunglasses. But her other accessories highlighted her determination at the moment: Kardashian wore stacked jewelry and a thick chain necklace in her ears, symbolizing the significance of the trial. Her mother, Kris Jenner, stood beside her, wearing a black and white checkered jacket, paired with casual pants and platform shoes, and carrying a maroon Hermès bag.
About 500 reporters packed the courthouse to listen to Kardashian’s testimony. The Skims co-founder told the truth about the jewelry theft that took place while she was attending Paris Fashion Week in 2016. The case is now considered one of the most audacious celebrity thefts in French history. The gruesome incident has sparked a discussion about fame and the price of living a life of publicity.
Simone Harouche, Kardashian’s friend and former stylist, also testified in court, revealing that she was sleeping downstairs when the robbery occurred. She recalled hearing Kardashian tell them about her family and told them to “take everything.
I’m going to live.” She provided more details and emphasized that the incident changed the billionaire forever. “Her lifestyle is completely different now,” she said in her testimony. “In terms of safety, she can’t go out on her own, she will never go anywhere on her own again. The feeling of losing your freedom… is terrible.”
According to French prosecutors, the attackers, now in their sixties and seventies, were part of a sophisticated criminal gang who allegedly tracked her movements through her Instagram posts. So far, two of the ten attackers have admitted to being at the scene, while another claimed not to know her during the robbery. The same AP report clarified that initially 12 men were charged, but one was later cleared of charges and another was exempted due to good health. French media called these men the “Grandpa Robbers.”
In the days following that life-changing night, Kardashian was heavily criticized, with people questioning whether she had been too public about her life, which ultimately led to that night.
Judge David De Pas, who presided over the case, asked Harouch if Kardashian’s obsession with social media made her a target? And if she hadn’t, could this have been avoided? (In other words, victim shaming).
Harouch dismissed the argument, saying, “Just because a woman wears jewelry, it doesn’t mean she’s a target,” she said. “That’s like saying a woman who wears a short skirt deserves to be raped.”
The judge read aloud a letter from one of the defendants to Kardashian, who broke down in tears after reading it, according to NBC News. The letter reads: “I want to come to you as a normal person and tell you how much I regret what I have done, how sad it is to see you in tears, and how I feel for you and your children, husband and loved ones.
Since I learned about your situation, my conscience tells me to try to contact you in a more gentle and comforting way. Of course, we can’t change the past, but I hope this letter can help you overcome the trauma I have suffered.” The letter was written by Omar Ait Hedache.
Kardashian said in her reply: “I forgive you for what you have done, but this does not change my emotions, feelings and trauma. In fact, my life has changed forever.”