Kim Kardashian made her way to a Paris court on Tuesday to confront the notorious "grandpa robbers" — the group responsible for the violent heist that shocked the world nearly a decade ago. The reality star and entrepreneur is set to testify about the terrifying 2016 robbery that occurred during Paris Fashion Week.
Kim Kardashian is set to testify about the harrowing ordeal she endured in October 2016, when she was gagged, bound with tape and zip ties, and robbed at gunpoint inside a residence she had rented during Paris Fashion Week.
In previous interviews, Kim Kardashian, 44, has shared the emotional trauma she endured when masked men, posing as police officers, broke into her property and stole valuables, including her $4 million diamond engagement ring.
Tuesday's court appearance will be the only time Kim Kardashian is expected to take the stand and directly face the individuals accused of robbing her.
From the early hours, dozens of journalists and onlookers gathered outside the courtroom, eager for a glimpse of Kim Kardashian as she prepared to testify. However, under French law, cameras were not allowed inside the court.
The courthouse was alive with activity ahead of Kim Kardashian’s appearance, as teenagers took selfies in the marble hallways and camera crews scrambled for the best vantage point.
Theo Chbouki, an 18-year-old fashion student in the crowd, shared that it was his first time attending a criminal trial. He expressed curiosity about seeing Kim Kardashian in a "serious" real-life setting, away from the glossy world of social media and reality TV. “It’s iconic to see Kim Kardashian at a trial in Paris,” he said.
Several of the defendants in the trial, nine men and one woman, are in their 60s and 70s. Prosecutors have labeled them as career criminals with a long history of offenses.
Some defendants face charges of armed robbery as part of an organized gang, kidnapping, and other crimes, while others are accused of complicity or lesser offenses. The trial, which will be decided by three judges and a six-person jury, is expected to continue until the end of May.
Most of the accused have denied their involvement in the robbery, which saw jewelry worth at least 8 million euros (over $9 million) stolen. Simone Harouche, a close friend and fashion stylist of Kim Kardashian at the time, testified in court on Tuesday, suggesting that the traumatic event had a profound and lasting impact on her life.
Simone Harouche testified that following the robbery, Kim Kardashian took significant steps to improve her security, including upgrading her private security team and adjusting her social media practices. She no longer posts content in real time, a change she made after the thieves targeted her, likely due to her frequent displays of valuable jewelry online.
Simone Harouche, the only other person in the residence with Kim Kardashian that night, recalled waking up to the sound of Kardashian screaming in fear, urgently pleading that she had children and wanted to live. Harouche described the scream as one of terror, unlike anything she had ever heard from her friend. She also remembered how Kardashian, with her ankles bound in tape, came rushing down the stairs in distress after the thieves had left. Harouche noted that Kardashian was completely shaken, saying she had never seen her in such a state before.
After three months of wiretaps and surveillance, investigators were able to identify several suspects linked to the robbery. DNA evidence found on the tape and zip ties used to bind Kim Kardashian's hands and feet helped lead to their arrest.
Kim Kardashian is set to testify about the harrowing ordeal she endured in October 2016, when she was gagged, bound with tape and zip ties, and robbed at gunpoint inside a residence she had rented during Paris Fashion Week.
In previous interviews, Kim Kardashian, 44, has shared the emotional trauma she endured when masked men, posing as police officers, broke into her property and stole valuables, including her $4 million diamond engagement ring.
Tuesday's court appearance will be the only time Kim Kardashian is expected to take the stand and directly face the individuals accused of robbing her.
From the early hours, dozens of journalists and onlookers gathered outside the courtroom, eager for a glimpse of Kim Kardashian as she prepared to testify. However, under French law, cameras were not allowed inside the court.
The courthouse was alive with activity ahead of Kim Kardashian’s appearance, as teenagers took selfies in the marble hallways and camera crews scrambled for the best vantage point.
Theo Chbouki, an 18-year-old fashion student in the crowd, shared that it was his first time attending a criminal trial. He expressed curiosity about seeing Kim Kardashian in a "serious" real-life setting, away from the glossy world of social media and reality TV. “It’s iconic to see Kim Kardashian at a trial in Paris,” he said.
Several of the defendants in the trial, nine men and one woman, are in their 60s and 70s. Prosecutors have labeled them as career criminals with a long history of offenses.
Some defendants face charges of armed robbery as part of an organized gang, kidnapping, and other crimes, while others are accused of complicity or lesser offenses. The trial, which will be decided by three judges and a six-person jury, is expected to continue until the end of May.
Most of the accused have denied their involvement in the robbery, which saw jewelry worth at least 8 million euros (over $9 million) stolen. Simone Harouche, a close friend and fashion stylist of Kim Kardashian at the time, testified in court on Tuesday, suggesting that the traumatic event had a profound and lasting impact on her life.
Simone Harouche testified that following the robbery, Kim Kardashian took significant steps to improve her security, including upgrading her private security team and adjusting her social media practices. She no longer posts content in real time, a change she made after the thieves targeted her, likely due to her frequent displays of valuable jewelry online.
Simone Harouche, the only other person in the residence with Kim Kardashian that night, recalled waking up to the sound of Kardashian screaming in fear, urgently pleading that she had children and wanted to live. Harouche described the scream as one of terror, unlike anything she had ever heard from her friend. She also remembered how Kardashian, with her ankles bound in tape, came rushing down the stairs in distress after the thieves had left. Harouche noted that Kardashian was completely shaken, saying she had never seen her in such a state before.
After three months of wiretaps and surveillance, investigators were able to identify several suspects linked to the robbery. DNA evidence found on the tape and zip ties used to bind Kim Kardashian's hands and feet helped lead to their arrest.
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