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Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Kim Kardashian surprised by age of alleged robbers in Paris jewellery heist
Kim Kardashian was left shocked when she discovered the age of the group of men who are accused of breaking into her Paris hotel and stealing expensive jewels A group of pensioners who were dubbed the 'grandpa robbers' by French media are currently on trial in Paris charged with stealing Kim Kardashian's expensive jewels during Paris Fashion Week in 2016. The alleged incident left the reality star, now 44, in a state of "serious terror". It's said a group of armed gunmen burst into the SKIMS founder's hotel suite in 2016. The robbery allegedly saw the group, whose ages range from 35 to 78, bound and gag Kardashian before stealing £7.5 million of jewellery, which was never recovered. Her engagement ring from her then-husband, Kanye West, was among the items taken in the heist. In court on Tuesday, Kardashian was joined by her mum, Kris Jenner. Kardashian told the court how she thought one of the alleged robbers who tied her up during the raid appeared to be a father. She said they wanted her to know she would be unharmed if she remained quiet. She told the court: "The guy who tied me up saw how frantic I was he whispered to me 'shhh'. I felt he was a father. It felt like he wanted me to know I would be ok if I shut up." The reality TV star went on to admit she was "surprised" at how old the group appeared after she was shown potential images of them by French officials. She said: "I thought they were younger. It was the way he carried me. "I'm not saying that older people cannot carry, but I was just surprised when I saw the photos of them." Hotel receptionist, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, 48, who was handcuffed and forced at gunpoint to lead two armed robbers to Kim's hotel room, also told the court on Monday: 'She was terrified, in a state of hysteria.' Ouatiki said that when the men burst into the star's bedroom Kardashian began screaming that she was a mother. 'She was in serious terror; it was unbearable to see a woman in that type of distress,' he told the Paris court. Ouatiki, who is Algerian, was working on his own on the night the robbery took place. He was on the reception desk of an exclusive apartment building in the French capital, known as a 'no address' site, where the rich and famous who visit Paris often rented one of its swanky suites. Ouatiki said that after 2am he saw three masked men 'with police jackets on' approach the glass door to reception and gesture to him to open up. Thinking they were police officers, he opened the door. He said: "They pushed me to my knees and said: 'We're here for the money'". He then claimed they handcuffed him and held another gun to his neck as they asked: 'Where is the rapper's wife?' He revealed he knew that meant Kim. He went on to explain his version of the events to the court. Ten suspects, whose ages range from 35 to 78, are on trial until 23 May. Some are accused of aiding in the organisation of the robbery. Eight of the accused deny any involvement. They include Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, and the alleged ringleader, who has publicly admitted kidnapping and robbing Ms Kardashian.
Daily Record
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Kim Kardashian arrives at Paris court with mum Kris Jenner for £12 million burglary trial
Kim and Kris arrived at the Palais de Justice court in Paris for the trial. Kim Kardashian has arrived at a court in Paris ahead of a £12 million burglary trial. She was accompanied by her mother Kris Jenner before the pair walked inside the courtroom having been flanked by paparazzi, police and onlookers. The pair turned up to the Palais de Justice court in Paris, to testify about the robbery ordeal in her hotel room almost nine years ago. Ten people are on trial in Paris, accused of robbing the celebrity. Kim was allegedly held at gunpoint at a Parisian hotel in October 2016 by robbers dressed as policemen. They reportedly stole $10m (£7.5m) in jewellery and cash, and a $4m engagement ring. Kardashian has since spoken about the trauma the incident caused her, and court has heard that she has increased her security detail since the robbery. Two of the defendants, Yunice Abbas and Aomar Ait Khedache, admit the charges. The rest deny them. The five robbers used a night receptionist to gain entry to Kardashian's room. The man on shift, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, was also forced to act as an interpreter between the gang and Kardashian. At a previous day in the trial, the court was told by Ouatiki's lawyers that the receptionist was left scarred by the events of October 2016 and that he suffered from PTSD. "He suffered from the way the heist was romanticised and by the way the robbers are being described as 'grandpa robbers'. That's not what he saw - he just saw robbers," one of his lawyers said. On Monday, Ouatiki said the American star was "completely hysterical" and "in a state of complete terror" as a "very nervous" man pointed a gun at her. "He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified," said Ouatiki. The robbers are known at the "grandpa robbers", due to the older age of most defendants. Most of the alleged participants in the robbery were born in the 1950s, leading French media to dub them the "grandpa robbers". One has since passed away, and another, aged 81, will be excused as he is suffering from advanced dementia. The burglary took place at the Hotel de Pourtalès, or the No Address hotel, where Kim Kardashian stayed in October 2016. The hotel is comprised of a series of nine luxury suites and two rooms. Its website claims it's "more confidential" than a luxury hotel, and offers an unrivalled privacy. Services include bodyguards on request, chauffeurs, and day and night concierge teams. You must book for a six night minimum, with the cheapest rate coming in at £1,345 per night. But not everybody can book, you must rich, famous or referred by other celebrities. Vanity Fair reported that it had lax external security and no CCTV cameras for guests to enjoy maximum privacy, and a door code known to many as it hadn't been changed in years.
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside Kim Kardashian's traumatising robbery ordeal that left her 'hysterical'
All eyes are set to be on Kim Kardashian today when she takes the stand to testify in a 'grandpa robbery' trial, almost a decade on from allegedly being held at gunpoint Kim Kardashian was allegedly robbed at gunpoint and had millions of dollars' worth of her jewellery taken from her when she was staying in a hotel in Paris on October 3, 2016. Today, she's set to revisit what she has described as the "scariest thing" she's ever been through in her life. The businesswoman and reality television star is expected to testify this afternoon to give her version of events of the ordeal, which saw several men posing as police officers storm into her hotel suite where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week and steal a reported $10million in jewellery. This included her beloved diamond engagement ring worth $4 million from her ex-husband, Kanye West. Kim, now 44, claimed she was held at gunpoint with tape over her mouth, put in her luxury suite's bathtub and had her wrists tied. The mother, who broke her silence in January 2017, believed she was going to be killed. Yesterday, (Monday, May 12) witness Abderrahmane Ouatiki, who was the hotel receptionist, told the court he was marched up to Kardashian's hotel room and was made to translate the robbers' demands. He said she was "in a state of complete terror" and "completely hysterical" as a "nervous" man directed a gun at her. Ouatiki added: "He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified." The night receptionist also stated he feared for his life, too, as the burglars were evidently irritated by Kardashian's screaming. The court heard three people kept watch in the reception of Hotel de Pourtalès while two other men made Ouatiki take them to Kardashian's suite, where they demanded she give up her engagement ring and stole other jewels. They were arrested three months after the ordeal alongside several others thought to be accessories to the robbery. A total of 12 people were due to appear in court, but one died in March and another was excused from the proceedings due to health reasons. All but two of the remaining 10 deny any involvement in the crime. The precious jewels were never found, but the French authorities have reason to believe they were broken up and sold on. The case has been called the "grandpa robbers" trial due to five of the suspects being pensioners. Aomar Ait Khedache, the 68-year-old alleged leader of the gang, was questioned in court last week but had to write his answers down as he's deaf and mute. The court heard that when Kardashian was tied up, she only wore a bathrobe, and the belt came undone. Ouatiki declined to discuss this in detail when her lawyer, Léonore Hennerick, asked about it. He just said: "You have to respect the victim, I think." Recalling that moment with journalist David Letterman in an emotional interview in 2020, Kardashian said: "I was like, 'Okay, this is the time I'm going to get raped.'" She also told Letterman she feared for her life and for her older sister, Kourtney Kardashian, who was in Paris with her. She said: "I'm gonna be dead in the room and she's gonna be traumatised for the rest of her life." She claimed the robbers grabbed her diamond ring, phone, €1,000 in cash and various other jewels and ran away. Shortly after their swift exit, her bodyguard arrived, and Kardashian was able to untie herself. In the early hours of October 3, she later gave a statement to the police and jetted back to the USA. Kardashian has also spoken about the incident on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, with the mum-of-four saying she feared the robbery turned her into a "full robot with like, no emotion". "[My therapist] was like, 'You think calm is your superpower. I think you are so desensitised from trauma that you literally are frozen in fight or flight,'" she explained in one episode. "So then she was like, 'One time in life something happened, and you remained calm, and that worked for you. So you will always choose calm.'" She also stated that the heist forced her to reconsider how she lived and what she shared online. "I learned to be more private," she later said. "It's not worth the risk." The Skims founder soon enhanced her security by hiring people in elite protective services and stopped posting her location in real time on social media. She also removed all traces of lavish gifts and jewellery from her feed. "I was definitely materialistic before — but I'm so happy that my kids get this me," she told Ellen DeGeneres in 2017. "People were watching," she explained. "They knew what I had. They knew where I was." Now, hundreds of journalists are in Paris ready to hear Kardashian's testimony after all this time. "Testifying will allow her to reclaim agency in this situation and rewrite the ending," celebrity expert Jeetendr Sehdev told the BBC.
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Kim Kardashian 'terrified' when robbers burst into Paris hotel room, court told
A group of pensioners dubbed the 'grandpa robbers' by French media are on trial in Paris charged with stealing Kim Kardashian's jewels during Paris Fashion Week in 2016 Kim Kardashian was in a state of "serious terror" when armed gunmen burst into her hotel suite in 2016, a court has been told. A group of pensioners dubbed the 'grandpa robbers' by French media are on trial in Paris charged with stealing the mum-of-four's jewels during Paris Fashion Week in 2016. Hundreds of extra police and gendarmes were mobilised around the historic Palais de Justice in the centre of the French capital, where the 44-year-old American reality TV star was due on Tuesday afternoon. She is the lead civil party speaking on behalf of the prosecution in the trial of nine men and one woman who allegedly made up the gang behind the armed attack in 2016. In the terrifying robbery, the masked gang, whose ages range from 35 to 78, bound and gagged the SKIMS founder, 44, before stealing £7.5 million of jewellery, which was never recovered. Kim's engagement ring from her then-husband, Kanye West, was among the items taken. Hotel receptionist, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, 48, who was handcuffed and forced at gunpoint to lead two armed robbers to Kim's hotel room, told the court: 'She was terrified, in a state of hysteria.' READ MORE: What really happened the night Kim Kardashian was bound, gagged and robbed of £8m diamonds Ouatiki said that when the men burst into the star's bedroom, Kim, who will testify on Tuesday (May 13) began screaming that she was a mother. 'She was in serious terror; it was unbearable to see a woman in that type of distress,' he told the Paris court. Ouatiki, who is Algerian, was working alone the night of the robbery on the reception desk of an exclusive apartment building in the French capital, known as a 'no address' site, where the rich and famous visiting Paris often rented the swanky suites. Ouatiki said that after 2am he saw three masked men 'with police jackets on' approach the glass door to reception and gesture to him to open up. Thinking they were police officers, he opened the door. 'They pushed me to my knees and said: 'We're here for the money',' he told the court. He said they handcuffed him and held another gun to his neck as they asked him: 'Where is the rapper's wife?' He knew that meant Kim. The robbers took Ouatiki in the lift with them to Kim's apartment, he told the court. As they approached her bedroom, Ouatiki said Kardashian called out 'Hello? Hello?' thinking it might be her older sister Kourtney Kardashian returning from a nightclub. He said the robbers burst into the room and roughly pushed Kim. Ouatiki said The Kardashians star was shouting and hysterical. Concerned the lead robber was 'very nervous, unstable, aggressive', Ouatiki said he felt he had to 'calm things down and contain it' so he shouted at Kim to 'shut up!'. He said the robbers were asking in French for money. Ouatiki, still with a gun held at his head, tried to translate. Kim said she had 'a thousand' – either in dollars or euros. He said she gave the robbers the ring that was on a bedside table. She then nodded towards a Louis Vuitton jewellery box, the robbers allegedly opened it and tipped its valuable contents into two bags. Kim was then roughly pushed on to the bed by the lead robber who tied her hands and feet and put black tape over her mouth, Ouatiki said. The lead judge asked Ouatiki if he thought Kim feared for her life He said: 'Yes.' He said he also feared he would die. Ten suspects, whose ages range from 35 to 78, are on trial until 23 May. Some are accused of aiding in the organisation of the robbery. Eight of the accused deny any involvement. They include Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, and the alleged ringleader, who has publicly admitted kidnapping and robbing Ms Kardashian. The other gang member who has confessed is Yunnis Abbas, 72, who has written a book called I kidnapped Kim Kardashian. The trial continues, and verdicts are expected towards the end of May.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kim Kardashian to appear in court as witness in Paris burglary case
Kim Kardashian is due to appear in court in Paris later today as a witness in a burglary case dating back to 2016, when she was held up at gunpoint and had millions of dollars' worth of jewellery taken from her. The reality TV star and business woman, 44, is expected to take the stand in the afternoon to give her version of events of the burglary, which saw her tied up and held at gunpoint in a luxury suite where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week. Jewels worth millions of dollars were taken from her, including a $4m (£2.9m) diamond engagement from then-husband Kanye West. Ten people are on trial, which began last month. On Monday, witness Abderrahmane Ouatiki, the night receptionist who says he was marched up to Kardashian's hotel suite and made to translate the burglars' demands, said the American star was "completely hysterical" and "in a state of complete terror" as a "very nervous" man pointed a gun at her. "He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified," said Ouatiki. He added he too had feared for his life as the burglar was acting erratic and was clearly irritated by Kardashian's screaming. Three people reportedly kept watch in the reception of the exclusive Hotel de Pourtalès in central Paris while two other men forced Ouatiki to take them to Kardashian's suite, where they demanded she give him the ring and also stole other jewels for a total of $9m. The men were arrested three months later alongside several other people thought to be accessories to the crime. Twelve were eventually due to appear in court, although one died in March and another has been excused due to health reasons. Of the remaining 10, all but two deny any involvement in the burglary. The jewels were never found but police think they were broken up and sold on. French media have dubbed the defendants the "grandpa robbers" as several are in their 70s. Many also have serious health problems. One is undergoing chemotherapy, while another had visible tremors. The alleged ringleader, Aomar Ait Khedache, 68, was questioned last week but is deaf and mute and had to write his answers down with a pen and paper which were projected on to a screen. Since the trial opened on 28 April, prosecutors have sought to dispel the image of hapless elderly burglars – who reportedly did not know their victims was a hugely famous celebrity. "They may have made mistakes but they were still a decent team," said the lead investigator of the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (Banditry Repression Brigade) special unit last week. He noted that the burglars tied up Kardashian's feet and ankles with cable ties and stuck tape on her mouth, and they took a car to park near the scene of the crime and used burner phones. "That was well done," he said. "They pulled it off, because they managed to flog the goods and palm off a $4m ring in Antwerp, which isn't that easy," he added. In his testimony, Ouatiki also painted a frightening picture of one of the burglars who he said was wielding a gun and was "stressed and shouting… You feel that's someone that can be very dangerous." Ouatiki acted as an interpreter between the man and Kardashian and said he did his best to "calm things down as I didn't know what he was capable of". When the burglars tied up Kardashian and took her to the bathroom, she was only wearing a bathrobe and the belt came undone, the court heard. Asked by Kardashian's lawyer Léonore Hennerick to describe the moment, Ouatiki declined to go into detail. "You have to respect the victim, I think," he said. Referencing that moment in an emotional interview in 2020, Kardashian told American journalist David Letterman that she thought she was going to be sexually assaulted. "I was like, 'Okay, this is the time I'm going to get raped'," she said. She added that she feared for her life and that she was worried for her sister Khloe, who was out at a club: "I'm gonna be dead in the room and she's gonna be traumatised for the rest of her life." Instead, the burglars grabbed her ring as well as various other jewels, phone and €1,000 in cash and ran off. Kardashian was quickly able to untie herself and her bodyguard arrived shortly after. She gave a statement to police in the early hours of 3 October and immediately flew back to the US. For his part, Ouatiki – an Algerian national who at the time was a PhD student in semiotics – said he suffered greatly from speculation in the media that he may have been in on the heist. "The suspicion was very heavy to bear," he told the court. Ouatiki told French media he lost his student status shortly after the heist and had to go back to Algeria, where he was diagnosed with PTSD. "It was a catastrophe, my life fell apart," he told Le Point. On Tuesday morning, Simone Bretter, Kardashian's friend and stylist, will take the stand. She was staying in the same suite during the heist but was on a different floor and hid when she realised burglars had broken in. Almost 500 journalists are accredited and Kardashian's testimony is set to attract huge media attention. "Testifying will allow her to reclaim agency in this situation and rewrite the ending," said Jeetendr Sehdev, celebrity expert and the author of The Kim Kardashian Principle. "In 2016 she was the punchline. But in 2025 testifying is going to turn her into the narrator," he told the BBC.
