After nine years, the trial for the 2016 robbery in Paris of Kim Kardashian is finally happening. Nearly a decade ago, Kim Kardashian was then Kim Kardashian-West, and the jewelry heist infamously took place during Kim’s stay for Paris Fashion Week that year when she was alone in her hotel room without her husband, Kanye, sister Kourtney, assistant Stephanie, or children back home.
The French burglars were led by a career criminal who wasn’t even aware of Kim’s level of fame. Most of the suspects were arrested in January 2017 after French police identified the ring leader using micro traces of DNA. Kim, who has been studying to be a lawyer since 2018, is now dealing with the legal system abroad as she testifies about the incident she told David Letterman left her “traumatized,” “paranoid,” and “scared of everything” for a year during a 2020 interview. Here’s everything to know about Kim Kardashian’s testimony about the Paris robbery.
Kim Kardashian Robbery Testimony: Highlights
Did the robbers hurt Kim Kardashian?
In May 2025, Kim testified that the robbers pushed her around, at one point, “exposing everything on my body” since she was wearing a robe. At this point, Kim said she thought she was going to be raped. The robbers instead tied Kim by her hands and feet and threw her onto the bed where she had been relaxing before she heard their stomping feet come up the stairs.
The robbers had guns out as they shouted at Kim and the receptionist whom they brought upstairs. Once Kim realized they only wanted her jewelry: “At that point, I was sure that’s when they were going to shoot me.”
When Kim begged for her life, she told the robber, “I have babies, and I need to get home to my babies,” over and over again. In response, Kim believes one of the burglars told her to “shut up.” One crew member also told her that if she stayed quiet, she would be okay.
“I said a prayer for my family and my mom and my sister and best friend,” Kim told the court. “I absolutely did think I was gonna die,” Kim continued.
The robbers left Kim on the bathroom floor to untie herself after escaping with her possessions.
Was Kourtney Kardashian there for the robbery?
Kourtney was not present for the robbery, which is why Kim said she had the thought: “I would be shot dead on the bed, and she would see that and have that memory forever,” speaking of her sister.
What did the robbers steal?
Back in 2020, Kim told David Letterman one of the first things the robbers yelled to her was “the ring, the ring,” but because she was “so startled,” their demand “didn’t compute for a minute.” They were referring to her engagement ring from Kanye West, which is reportedly worth $8 million today. In the end, the heist brought in $6 million in jewelry before the thieves were caught. The trial will attempt to find where the jewels ended up.
Who robbed Kim Kardashian?
There are 10 defendants in this trial, but one has since passed away, and another will be excused due to dementia at the age of 81. Only two have pleaded guilty. Per the BBC, 62-year-old Yunice Abbas and 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache confessed to the crime. Due to their *advanced* age, the French media has since dubbed them the “grandpa robbers.”
After being arrested in 2017, Aomar wrote Kim a letter that she was unaware of until the trial. “Madame, after seeing you in a French TV show and seeing your emotion and realising what psychological harm I did to you, that I decided to write to you,” the judge read out loud, per the BBC. “Not with the aim of getting forgiveness … I want to tell you human to human how I regret my actions and how I was touched to see you cry … I am sorry for the pain I caused you, your husband, your children and those who love you.”
In response, Kim reportedly turned to Aomar in the courtroom. “I do appreciate the letter for sure. I do appreciate it, I forgive you,” she spoke through tears. However, she added “it doesn’t change the emotion, the feelings, and the trauma and the way my life has changed.”
