Kim Kardashian is set to testify in a Paris court on Tuesday, nearly a decade after millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry was stolen during Fashion Week in the city.
Ten individuals have faced trial for the armed robbery that occurred in late April 2016, where jewelry valued at around $10 million was taken from reality TV personalities and influencers.
The trial has drawn significant media interest, with almost 500 journalists accredited to cover it.
Kardashian is prepared to confront her Parisian attackers, her attorney stated last week.
“She is committed to appearing in person,” French lawyers Leonor Hennack and Jonathan Mathout informed AFP, emphasizing her resolve and courage.
Her testimony is expected to begin at 2 PM (1200 GMT).
On the night of October 2-3, 2016, Kardashian, then 35, was taken captive while at a luxury hotel in central Paris.
She was threatened with a gun and was bound and gagged.
Her lawyers have yet to disclose her exact statements regarding the trial and her expected court appearance.
Dubbed “The Robbers of the Century” by the French press, the masked assailants made off with a multi-million-dollar haul, including a diamond ring worth 3.5 million euros ($3.9 million) gifted to her by her then-husband Kanye West.
This robbery has been recognized as one of the most significant thefts targeting high-profile individuals in France in the last 20 years.
Throughout the proceedings, suspects in their 60s and 70s have been revealed to have prior criminal histories.
Many bear nicknames reminiscent of classic French criminals, such as “Old Omar” and “Blue Eyes,” evoking images of cinematic characters from the 1960s and 70s.
“They’re quite the team,” investigator Michelle Malecott remarked.
“But they did slip up a bit,” he added.
During the trial, 68-year-old AOMAR AIT Khedache, known as “Old Omar,” confessed to restraining Kardashian but claimed he wasn’t the mastermind of the heist.
Another accused, 71-year-old Yunis Abbas, later authored a book recounting the robbery.
In it, he narrates a moment when his bag got entangled in a bicycle wheel, forcing him to fall while trying to retrieve the stolen goods.
Investigators allege that a man named Gary Madhar, the brother of Kardashian’s driver, informed the suspects that Kardashian was “on French soil.”
These claims have been dismissed by Madhar’s attorneys, who argue that 350 million followers online already knew where the celebrity was located.
If Kardashian had opted to join her sister Kourtney that night, the outcome could have looked quite different.
Her assigned driver, Michael Madhar, reportedly charged Kardashian/West up to 400,000 euros a year for security services and had been on duty for 21 consecutive hours prior to the incident.
Meanwhile, alternative bodyguard Mohamed Q. and Kardashian’s security personnel Pascal D. rushed back to the hotel after she attempted to make a phone call but couldn’t get through when they called back.
“I saw the elevator on the ground floor and Kim was staying,” Pascal D noted in court.
Upon finding Kardashian, she was “in a terrible state, crying hysterically,” he recounted.
“I asked her what happened, and she said she had been taken hostage.”
Kardashian expressed her gratitude toward French authorities for their handling of the investigation, noting their “respect and consideration.”
The once-famous for being famous American celebrities rose to prominence through reality television in the early 2000s, branching into fashion and film.
Kardashian is one of the most followed individuals on Instagram and X, and has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential figures by Time Magazine and among the most powerful women by Fortune.
The trial is anticipated to conclude by May 23rd.
