Kim Kardashian Confronts Her Traumatic 2016 Paris Robbery in Court
A Paris courtroom heard raw, emotional testimony from Kim Kardashian as she relived the night she faced masked intruders and the threat of death in 2016. Nearly a decade has passed since the reality superstar was caught in a luxury hotel suite, stripped of about $6 million in jewelry—including her famous $4 million diamond ring from Kanye West—and forced to reckon with a gang known for their age as much as their crimes. Now, she’s faced her alleged attackers with the same vulnerability and composure that’s made her famous worldwide.
The ten people in the dock aren’t your typical criminal group; news outlets quickly dubbed them the “grandpa robbers” ('papys braqueurs') for a reason. Most are older men, accused of pulling off one of the boldest celebrity heists in recent history. Their approach was low-tech but highly calculated: posing as police officers in the dead of night, pretending to run a standard check at the exclusive Hôtel de Pourtalès where Kardashian was staying. The ruse worked so well at first that Kim apparently thought it was just her sister Kourtney and a friend coming back late from partying.
Tense Moments, Fear for Her Life and Family
It took seconds for reality to shatter the illusion. Kardashian said she panicked as soon as she realized the intruders weren't her sister. The men, dressed as police and wielding weapons, zip-tied her, gagged her with tape, and dragged her to a bathtub, all while she was still in her bathrobe. When she looked up at one of the robbers hovering near her bed, she was convinced the worst was about to happen. Her testimony was stark: “I was certain that was the moment he was going to rape me... I absolutely did think I was going to die.”
The thought of her children—she was a mother to young kids at the time—pushed her to try and stay calm while the group ransacked the suite. “I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything,” she told the court, breaking any illusion that celebrity or luxury could shield her from raw fear. She tried to call for help, but emergency services were out of reach, adding to her sense of isolation inside the plush, now infamous suite.
The robbers, seemingly unfazed, carted off precious jewels in a matter of minutes. The theft made international headlines not just for the value of what was lost, but for what was nearly taken: Kim Kardashian’s life. Despite the trauma, Kardashian stayed composed under cross-examination and publicly thanked the French judicial system for treating her with compassion and respect throughout the trial process.
The court case itself kicked off weeks earlier, a long-anticipated reckoning for a case many thought might go unsolved. Two original suspects are missing from the proceedings now—one has died, another is too ill to appear. That’s prompted defense lawyers to point fingers within the group, arguing that not every suspect played a major part in the night’s events. Some attorneys have made the case that their clients had bit parts or played no real role in the violence and abduction.
Many in Paris and beyond are watching closely—not just to see if justice will be served, but to hear what Kardashian, who represents both fame and vulnerability, endures and overcomes in the wake of the ordeal. The trial continues, full of twists and raw moments, with one of the world’s biggest stars still at the heart of a story that shocked the world.
