Paris, May 13, 2025 — Kim Kardashian is set to take the stand in a Paris courtroom later today, nearly nine years after she was held at gunpoint and robbed of $9 million worth of jewellery in one of the most high-profile celebrity heists in recent history.
The 44-year-old reality TV star and entrepreneur will appear as a witness in the ongoing trial of ten suspects accused of orchestrating the violent robbery at the exclusive Hôtel de Pourtalès during Paris Fashion Week in October 2016.
Kardashian was alone in her suite at the time when five armed men, two of whom forced a hotel night receptionist to lead them to her room, burst in, tied her up, and stole an array of valuables, including a $4 million diamond engagement ring gifted by then-husband Kanye West.
Abderrahmane Ouatiki, the hotel’s night receptionist and a key witness, testified on Monday that Kardashian was “completely hysterical” as a nervous gunman threatened her. “He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified,” Ouatiki told the court, recalling the moment he was coerced into translating the robbers’ demands.
Prosecutors believe the gang meticulously planned the attack, using burner phones, disguises, and a rented car. While much of the loot was never recovered, investigators suspect the stolen jewellery was dismantled and sold, including the ring believed to have surfaced in Antwerp’s black market.
The trial, which began on April 28, involves ten defendants—many elderly and in poor health—dubbed the “grandpa robbers” by French media. One of the alleged ringleaders, 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, who is deaf and mute, responded to questions in writing during his testimony last week.
Kardashian’s testimony is expected to draw massive media attention, with nearly 500 journalists accredited to cover the proceedings. Her friend and stylist, Simone Bretter, who was staying in the suite at the time but hid on another floor during the break-in, is also scheduled to testify on Tuesday.
Kardashian has spoken sparingly about the traumatic event over the years, describing it in a 2020 interview with David Letterman as a moment when she feared for her life and believed she would be sexually assaulted. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is the time I’m going to get raped,’” she recalled, adding that she worried her sister Kourtney would find her dead.
The incident had a profound effect on Kardashian, who withdrew from public life temporarily after the robbery. Experts suggest her testimony may help her reclaim that narrative. “In 2016 she was the punchline. But in 2025, testifying is going to turn her into the narrator,” said celebrity expert Jeetendr Sehdev.
Ouatiki, who was a PhD student in semiotics at the time of the robbery, revealed that media speculation implicating him in the heist derailed his life. “It was a catastrophe, my life fell apart,” he told French media. Diagnosed with PTSD, he returned to Algeria after losing his student status in France.
While most of the accused deny involvement, prosecutors are working to dismantle the portrayal of them as bumbling seniors. “They may have made mistakes, but they were still a decent team,” said a lead investigator last week.
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