Latest news with #PascalDuvier
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In Touch Investigates: Kim Kardashian Was ‘Hysterical' After Paris Robbery, Bodyguard's Lawyer Recalls
It's been almost a decade since Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint inside her hotel room in Paris, France. Now, as part of the In Touch Investigates new true crime video series, Kristin Thorne takes a closer look at the brazen crime after Kardashian's emotional testimony in the month-long trial following news that the ringleader and seven other people involved in the heist were found guilty while two others were acquitted. The reality star's former bodyguard Pascal Duvier's lawyer, Jerry Kroll, reflected on the trauma she experienced that unforgettable evening in October 2016, revealing to In Touch that she was deeply shaken and overcome by emotions. 'One of the most important pieces of his testimony was when he got back to the hotel after this happened, and he goes into the hotel, he opens the door to the staircase and there is the concierge handcuffed, key in his hand,' Kroll explains. 'Then he races upstairs to the room where Kim Kardashian is and he opens the door and his first visual is that Kim is hysterical, crying. And that became a really important point in the trial.' Kardashian, 44, told the judge on May 14 that she had just started to doze off when she heard someone enter her hotel room during Paris Fashion Week. She first assumed it was her sister Kourtney Kardashian returning from a night out, but two masked men stormed in, jolting her with fear. The robbers bound Kardashian by her hands and feet while holding a gun to her back. Kardashian was without security the night the group of men broke into her hotel room and stole millions of dollars worth of jewels, including the $4 million dollar engagement ring her then-husband Kanye West had gifted her. Duvier had been assigned to watch over her sister Kourtney, 46, at a nightclub across town, which is why he was not there when the robbers arrived. Kardashian's insurance company eventually filed a lawsuit against Duvier and his firm for negligence, which they settled in 2020. However, despite that, a friend said that Kardashian 'does not blame' Duvier, according to a report from Page Six. Duvier took the stand and testified against the thieves during the trial, and Thorne spoke with Duvier's attorney in an interview as part of the new In Touch Investigates series. Kroll says that Duvier, who let the Kardashians know he would be testifying ahead of time, still has 'good relations' with the Skims founder and that he 'has great respect and admiration for the family.' He also adds that Duvier's testimony was a key part of the trial, and it spoke to how tumultuous the event was for Kardashian. 'In fact, when the Kardashian's lawyer cross-examined my client, they said, 'Had you ever seen Kim Kardashian hysterically crying before?' And the answer was no. In other words, this was, like, shock and awe, devastating experience. And for him to witness that and for her to go through it is something that you don't get over very easily.' Kroll continues, 'For anybody who was in a violent crime situation where you're violated, you have personally been violated, there has to be some type of reconciliation where you kind of go full circle. And this is the completion of the circle now where the people who did this to her are going to finally face justice. And I think that's the most important part of what we're talking about now. I think the important thing, my client feels this way, and I would think also the victims feel this way, is that we want to see the perpetrators face justice and have a conclusion to this that brings a closure to this horrible event.' Kardashian, who has spoken openly about her hesitancy to wear large amounts of jewelry in public since the robbery, showed up to the courtroom wearing millions of dollars in jewels. She also said that she forgives the men, despite the trauma they caused her. On Friday, May 23, eight out of 10 individuals were convicted in connection with the robbery. Looking ahead, those who were found guilty will face prison terms to fines.
The Sun
13-05-2025
- The Sun
Kim Kardashian's ex-bodyguard's lawyer insists he was right to leave her alone in hotel where she was robbed at gunpoint
THE bodyguard who left Kim Kardashian alone in a Paris hotel before she was robbed at gunpoint acted appropriately and followed protocol, his attorney has told The U.S. Sun. Jerry Kroll, a lawyer specializing in jewelry heists, was present in court last week as his client, Pascal Duvier, testified in the so-called "robbery of the century" trial in the French capital. 10 10 Duvier lost his job with the Kardashians after the harrowing incident, which left Kim fearing for her life as a gang of local criminals made off with $10 million worth of jewelry. On the night of October 3, 2016, the towering bodyguard, who had worked for the family for several years, agreed to leave Kim in her hotel room while he accompanied her sisters, Kourtney and Kendall, to a nightclub. This decision left Kim vulnerable to the attack, during which she was robbed of $10 million worth of jewellery, including an 18.88-carat diamond ring given to her by her now ex-husband, Kanye West. A month later, Duvier's security team was dismissed, and in October 2020, the reality star's insurance company settled a $6.1 million lawsuit with him. However, Kroll insists that the bodyguard was not to blame. 'He followed protocol,' Kroll told The U.S. Sun. 'Pascal wasn't solely responsible for Kim's security; Kourtney was also part of his protection detail. They had stayed at this hotel multiple times before, and everything had always gone smoothly. "He did his job.' Kroll added that Duvier remains on good terms with the Kardashian family, even reaching out to them ahead of his recent appearance in Paris. 'It pains him to see what happened to Kim,' Kroll said. During an emotional courtroom appearance this week, the 44-year-old reality star tearfully recounted the traumatic events of that night in front of 10 defendants. With her mother, Kris Jenner, 69, by her side, an emotional Kim detailed the terrifying ordeal. 'I absolutely thought I was going to die,' she said. 'He pulled me towards him, and I said a prayer. I was certain that was the moment he was going to rape me.' SHOCKING SCENES Kim described how she was bound hand and foot, her mouth taped shut in what is known in France as 'sausaging,' before being dragged into the bathroom and placed in a bathtub wearing only her dressing gown. A gun was pressed against her back as the masked intruders made off with a cache of valuable jewels. Kroll emphasised the significance of Duvier's testimony, particularly the moment he received a phone call about the unfolding incident. 'He got a call, but no one was on the line,' Kroll explained. 'He rushed back to the hotel, found one of the concierges handcuffed, and eventually reached Kim, who was in a state of distress.' 10 10 During cross-examination, Kardashian's lawyer asked Duvier if he had ever seen Kim hysterically crying before. 'His answer was no,' Kroll recounted. 'This was a shock to everyone. In hindsight, you can always say things could have been done differently, but Pascal is one of the best in the world at what he does. Even now, he's working with another high-profile client.' GANG MISTAKES The accused robbers, now in their 60s and 70s, were seasoned criminals who reportedly didn't even recognise Kim. Instead, they demanded that the concierge take them to 'the rapper's wife.' One of the gang members later admitted he only realised her level of fame after seeing news coverage of the heist the following day while watching TV with his wife. Due to their age and the complexities of the French legal system, Kroll believes lengthy prison sentences are unlikely. One of the defendants, known as 'Old Omar,' wrote a letter of apology to Kim from his jail cell, while another, Yunice Abbas, 71, published a memoir titled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian. Abbas fled the scene on a bicycle but fell during his escape, spilling part of the stolen loot. Another gang member, Marceau 'Rough Diamond' Baum-Gertner, passed away at the age of 72 just days before the trial began. 'The question is whether the French justice system will impose harsh sentences or take into account their age and the time they've already served,' Kroll said. 'Will they really give life sentences to men in their 80s?' 10 10 10 The gang's escape was far from flawless, leaving behind a trail of evidence, including DNA-covered cable ties, fingerprints throughout the hotel suite, and even a $50,000 diamond necklace abandoned in the street. French police, with assistance from the FBI, had already been monitoring the suspects, bugging their phones and tracking their movements. Investigators overheard them arguing over how to divide the loot at a Paris bistro. None of the stolen jewelry has been recovered, as most is believed to have been melted down and sold through Antwerp's notorious diamond trade. Kim's engagement ring, however, was likely too recognizable to be resold. 'In jewelry heists, it's common for gold to be melted down and diamonds to be altered,' Kroll explained. 'Otherwise, these pieces are too identifiable. The thieves made plenty of mistakes here, but the challenge is always finding a way to sell the goods.' What happened to Kim Kardashian? by Harvey Geh Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, 2016, marking the biggest robbery of an individual in France for more than 20 years. At the time the reality icon was in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week with her former husband Kanye West - before the rapper returned to the US to pick up his Saint Pablo tour. Now left in Paris along with her sister Kourtney and various other entourage members, Kardashian stayed in an exclusive set of apartments so secret they are dubbed the No Address Hotel. The penthouse suite Kardashian was staying in at the chic Hotel de Pourtalès - which is popular with celebrity A-listers - costs an eye-watering £13,000 per night. On the evening of October 3, after the star had attended a fashion show with her sister, Kardashian decided to stay in the apartment alone while the rest of her crew - including bodyguard Pascal Duvier - went out for the night. At around 2:30am, three armed men donning ski masks and dressed as police burst into the apartment block and threatened the concierge at gunpoint. Two of them are alleged to have forced the concierge to take them to the reality icon's suite - with the worker later telling police that they yelled: "Where's the rapper's wife?" Kardashian said she was "dozing" on her bed at the time, after uploading social media posts telling viewers that she was home alone, which she believes gave the robbers a "window of opportunity". The star said the robbers grabbed her, tied her up with plastic cables and taped her mouth and legs before dropping her in the bathtub. Before locking her in the bathroom they had held her at gunpoint and demanded specifically for her ring and also money. Cops said the robbers left the room after seizing the jewels and escaped on bikes - while carrying a haul estimated to be worth about $10million including a $4million 18.88-carat diamond engagement ring from West. Kardashian said she then managed to free herself from the restraints and rushed to help. The trial, delayed multiple times due to the pandemic and a backlog of major cases, finally began on April 28. Charges against the defendants include armed robbery, kidnapping, complicity, and illegal possession of firearms. One female defendant has argued that she could not have been involved, claiming, 'Attacking a woman isn't one of my principles.' Kim, who is now studying law in California, had avoided the trial proceedings until her recent testimony. Kroll thinks she will be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder "for life," especially as she recalled the horror night her life "flashed before her eyes." 'This is my closure,' Kim told the court. 'This is me finally putting this behind me.' 10
Sky News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Kim Kardashian's stylist Simone Harouche gives evidence in Paris robbery trial
Stylist Simone Harouche has told a court that on the night Kim Kardashian was robbed in Paris she was woken by the US star's screams of terror and feared she had been "raped or violated". Wearing a black jacket and bulky gold necklace, Ms Harouche, 45, spoke to Judge David de Pas in the Voltaire room of Paris's criminal court via an interpreter, describing the robbery that took place in the French capital nearly a decade ago. Ms Harouche, who says she has worked for Kardashian for many years and has been friends with her from childhood, told the court she was woken by "a sound I had never heard from Kim… It was terror". Sleeping in a separate apartment, on the next floor down from Kardashian's, she went on: "What I heard specifically was [Kim saying], 'I have babies and I need to live - that is what she kept saying… Take everything. I need to live'". She told the judge: "When I realised something terrible was going on upstairs and I realised it was not friends [in Kim's room] I started looking for my telephone and I started looking for something to help save mine and Kim's life." She went on to lock herself in her bathroom and hide in her shower, where she called Kardashian's sister Kourtney and texted her security guard, Pascal Duvier, telling them, "Something is very wrong… Kim is upstairs with men and we need help." She says minutes later, Kardashian entered her room, explaining: "To see my friend with her feet taped and a very light robe with nothing under, and all messed up and pulled, I thought she could have been raped or very violated." She said Kardashian was highly emotional, adding: "She was beside herself, I've never seen her like that before. She was screaming, 'We need to get out, what do we do if they come back? We need to jump from the first floor, we need to get out.'" Describing Kardashian as "not in her body", she said she thinks the star "was still in trauma" while they waited for help after the robbery, and went on to describe the scene following the incident as "very chaotic". Later on Tuesday, Kardashian herself will face 10 defendants who it is alleged pulled off one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history in the early hours of 3 October 2016. The trial is now entering its third week. In the French capital for Paris Fashion Week, Kardashian has previously said she was home alone in the early hours of 3 October, while her sister Kourtney and entourage - including her security guard - went out clubbing. It's alleged that five masked men posing as police officers stormed the residence, with two entering Kardashian's room and robbing her at gunpoint. She says she was then bound and gagged with tape and cable ties and left in the bathtub. Police say the men escaped on bicycles, with around $9m of jewellery, including a $4m engagement ring from Kardashian's then-husband Kanye West. Most of the jewellery was never recovered. Ahead of her in-person appearance, Kardashian's lawyers said she was ready to "confront" her Paris attackers and intended to do so "with dignity and courage". Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Kim Kardashian trial live: Star to confront Paris 'grandpa gang' suspects accused of tying her up at gunpoint in $10 million jewellery heist
Kim Kardashian will today confront the suspected 'grandpa gang' of Paris robbers who allegedly held her at gunpoint before stealing $10 million worth of her jewellery inside a luxury hotel in the French capital. Kardashian, the American businesswoman and reality TV star, was tied-up, gagged and locked in a bathroom when she was targeted by thieves in 2016 while visiting Paris Fashion Week. Speaking to media in Paris before her expected court appearance today, her lawyers said: 'She is committed to attending in person the trial and to confronting those who attacked her.' A trial involving a notorious gang of criminals, dubbed the 'grandpa gang' as most are now in their 60s and 70s, accused of carrying out the terrifying robbery opened last month. 06:40 When will Kim Kardashian give evidence? We're expecting Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris at around 2pm local time (1pm UK time). Before she gives evidence, we're expecting to hear from her stylist Simone Harouche. Harouche, a friend of Kardashian who has known her since she was 11, was staying in Paris at the time of the raid but on a different floor. She is said to have locked herself in a bathroom and called Kardashian's bodyguard Pascal Duvier, who was at a nightclub with Kim's sisters Kourtney and Kendall. Kim Kardashian to confront 'grandpa gang' suspects accused of robbing her in Paris Hello and welcome to MailOnline's live coverage as Kim Kardashian testifies in a Paris court against the suspected thieves who allegedly targeted her in a terrifying jewellery heist in the French capital. Nine years ago, Kardashian was tied-up, gagged and locked in a bathroom inside a luxury hotel by a group of thieves who had disguised themselves as police officers. She was allegedly targeted by criminals after showing off her jewellery on social media. The American businesswoman and reality TV star later fled the country by private jet after speaking to French detectives. In previous years, she has told how the raid left her afraid to be alone and that she thought she would be killed by the robbers, but more recently that she is ready to face her assailants. Stick with us as we bring you the latest from Kardashian's appearance in the courtroom with Nick Fagge reporting from the Paris criminal court and Jamie Bullen in London.
