Kim Kardashian is set to testify in a Paris court today as a pivotal witness in a high-profile burglary case that dates back to 2016. On that fateful occasion, she was held captive at gunpoint in her luxurious suite during Paris Fashion Week, while millions of dollars worth of jewelry, including a stunning $4 million diamond engagement ring from her then-husband Kanye West, were violently snatched away.
The 44-year-old reality TV sensation and businesswoman is anticipated to take the stand in the afternoon, recounting her harrowing ordeal during the burglary. She was reportedly tied up and confronted by armed intruders in her opulent hotel suite.
Ten individuals are currently on trial for the incident, which began last month. On Monday, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, the night receptionist who was forced to accompany the burglars to Kardashian's suite and translate their demands, vividly described the American star's state of extreme distress. "She was completely hysterical and in a state of utter terror," said Ouatiki, adding that a "very nervous" perpetrator had a gun pointed directly at her. "He was incredibly aggressive, and she was absolutely petrified," he continued.
Ouatiki also revealed that he feared for his own life, as the burglar exhibited erratic behavior and became increasingly irate due to Kardashian's screams. Meanwhile, three accomplices kept watch at the exclusive Hotel de Pourtalès in central Paris, while two other men forced Ouatiki to lead them to Kardashian's suite. There, they demanded the engagement ring and stole other jewels totaling $9 million.
The perpetrators were apprehended three months later, along with several others suspected of aiding and abetting the crime. Originally, twelve individuals were slated to appear in court, but one passed away in March, and another was excused due to health issues. Of the remaining ten defendants, only two admit any involvement in the burglary. The stolen jewels have never been recovered, and authorities believe they were dismantled and sold.
The defendants, dubbed the "grandpa robbers" by French media, include several individuals in their 70s with serious health issues. One defendant is undergoing chemotherapy, while another suffers from visible tremors. The alleged ringleader, Aomar Ait Khedache, 68, was questioned last week but is deaf and mute, requiring him to write his answers down, which were then projected onto a screen.
Since the trial commenced on April 28th, prosecutors have sought to dismantle the perception of the defendants as bumbling elderly burglars who were unaware of their famous victim. "They may have made errors, but they were a competent team," remarked the lead investigator from the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme special unit last week. He noted that the intruders meticulously tied up Kardashian's feet and ankles with cable ties, taped her mouth shut, and utilized a getaway car and burner phones.
"That was expertly executed," he added. "They succeeded in their mission, managing to offload the stolen goods and sell the $4 million ring in Antwerp, which is not an easy feat." In his testimony, Ouatiki also painted a terrifying portrayal of one of the armed perpetrators, describing him as "stressed and shouting… You could sense that he was someone who could be extremely dangerous."
Ouatiki found himself in the unprecedented position of interpreter between the assailant and Kardashian, striving with every fiber of his being to "calm the volatile situation, albeit being acutely aware of his limitations." The court was regaled with harrowing accounts: the robbers shackled Kim Kardashian, forcefully hauling her into a bathroom where she was scantily clad in a bathrobe, its belt松散地hanging loose. When Kardashian's legal advocate, Léonore Hennerick, pressed Ouatiki to recount that harrowing ordeal, he hesitated, invoking the sanctity of respecting the victim. "Respect for the victim stands unrivaled in my mind," he stressed emphatically.
In a poignant interview with American journalist David Letterman in 2020, Kardashian's voice trembled as she confessed her dread of an impending sexual assault. "I steeled myself mentally, whispering to myself, 'This is it, I'm about to be violated,'" she recounted with palpable fear. She further unveiled her terror for her own life and her anxiety for her sister Kourtney, who was out enjoying a night at the club: "I was haunted by the thought of being discovered dead in that room, forever scarring her psyche." Instead, the thieves contented themselves with making away with her ring, an assortment of other jewels, her phone, and €1,000 in cash, before scampering from the scene in haste. Kardashian swiftly freed herself from her bonds, and her bodyguard arrived soon thereafter. She promptly provided a statement to the police in the wee hours of October 3 and hastily returned to the United States.
Ouatiki, an Algerian national who was then pursuing a PhD in semiotics, found himself swamped by media conjecture implying his complicity in the heist. "The suspicion was nearly unbearable," he bemoaned to the court. He disclosed to French media outlets that following the harrowing incident, he lost his student status and was compelled to return to Algeria, where he was diagnosed with PTSD. "My life shattered into a million pieces; it was a catastrophe," he confessed to Le Point with visible emotion.
On Tuesday morning, Simone Bretter, Kardashian's beloved friend and stylist, will take the stand. During the heist, she was staying in the same suite but on a separate floor, where she sought refuge upon realizing the intrusion. With nearly 500 accredited journalists eagerly awaiting and Kardashian's testimony poised to captivate immense media attention, expert Jeetendr Sehdev, author of 'The Kim Kardashian Principle,' observed, "Testifying will empower her to reclaim the reins of her narrative and rewrite the final chapter." He elaborated further to the BBC, "In 2016, she was the punchline of jokes. But in 2025, testifying elevates her to the status of storyteller."
