In 2016, Kim Kardashian faced a terrifying armed robbery while in Paris. Now, almost 10 years later, the trial of 10 individuals accused is underway.
Kim had a traumatic experience where she was gagged, bound and held at gunpoint by masked men in a luxury residence during Paris Fashion Week. She was alone in the room when it happened.
Five of the defendants – elderly men now known as the “grandpa robbers” due to their ages – are accused of stealing jewellery worth around £8.5 million. Six others are charged as accessories to the crime, however, one passed away before the trial began. Eight out of the 10 deny involvement.
But what exactly happened? And what has Kim said about it since? Let’s have a look.
What happened to Kim Kardashian in Paris?
In the early hours of the morning on October 3, 2016, five armed men dressed as police officers are believed to have burst into the hotel reception. It was there they threatened and handcuffed the security guard, forcing him to take them to Kim’s room.
When they got to Kim’s room, the reality star was lying on her bed when she heard footsteps. She admitted that she initially thought it was her sister, Kourtney, returning from a night out. But she quickly realised that wasn’t the case.
She later told David Letterman, while appearing on his show: “I knew someone was there to get me, you just feel it.”
Kim allegedly tried to phone her bodyguard, who was out with her sister, as the robbers entered her room. They used the hotel security guard as their translator, who told Kim they wanted her ring.
The star explained she told them to take whatever they wanted and begged for her life. But they tied her up with zip ties and duct tape, put her in the bathroom and continued to ransack her suite for more valuables.
It’s believed they escaped on bikes and foot.
How much did the robbers steal?
It’s believed the main thing that the accused wanted was Kim’s new wedding ring which was worth £3.5 million.
Kim had posted a photo of her new ring on social media not long before the attack, which she immediately stopped doing afterwards.
The robbers ended up with more than £8.5 million ($10 million) worth of jewellery.
What has Kim Kardashian said about the robbery?
Kim stayed quiet about the Paris robbery for a while, but then she appeared on David Letterman’s show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, where she explained just how traumatic it was for her.
The mum of four explained that it wasn’t the first time they had tried to rob her – but her then -usband Kanye West’s appearance had scared them away.
She revealed: “They had been following me for two years leading up to this moment. I didn’t know that they had someone at the elevators, someone at the front door, someone that moved the camera. There was also someone that broke the door and a getaway driver. There was a whole team of people who had planned to do this to me.”
During the same episode, Kim revealed she “begged” them to take anything they wanted, but to let her go alive because she had “babies” who needed her. However, at the time, she thought they were going to do a lot more to her.
She said: “I was wearing a robe and I wasn’t wearing anything under it. Right before they tied me up, I kept thinking this is the time I’m going to get raped. Prepare yourself for whatever is about to happen.”
The aftermath of the robbery – key suspect death
Several people began to be arrested and questioned in connection to the robbery – with 10 of them appearing during the trial.
The men are aged between 35 and 78. They face charges for armed robbery, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy. However, just days ago it was revealed one key suspect died before the trial began.
Two days ago (April 27), it was revealed that Marceau Baum-Gertner, a 72-year-old key suspect in the case, died ‘suddenly’ in March.
The man was allegedly responsible for finding buyers for the stolen possessions. While it’s been revealed that most jewellery items were melted down, the engagement ring remains missing.
One of the other men charged actually wrote a book about the experience and admitted he “regrets” what happened.
Kim is expected to testify in person on May 8, the first time she will be in the same room as the men since the attack. And the trial expected to end on May 23.
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