American reality television star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian appeared in a Paris court on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, to give her testimony in the ongoing trial of ten men accused of robbing her at gunpoint in 2016. The trial, which began in late April, concerns the theft of jewelry worth approximately \$10 million, including a \$3.9 million diamond ring gifted by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West.
Speaking before a packed courtroom on the historic Île de la Cité, Kardashian described in emotional detail how she feared for her life during the incident, which took place during Paris Fashion Week. Dressed in a black suit, she began her statement by thanking the French authorities for allowing her to testify and share her truth.
“I thought I was going to die,” Kardashian told the court. She recounted the events of the night of October 2–3, 2016, when masked intruders—posing as police officers—stormed her private residence in a discreet hotel in central Paris. At the time, her mother, sister, and friends were out, leaving her alone in the room.
She described hearing heavy footsteps before several men burst into her suite. One of the attackers demanded her jewelry, particularly fixating on her engagement ring. According to Kardashian, the man threatened her with a gun, tied her up with zip ties, and rummaged through her belongings. “I said a prayer for my family. I hoped they’d have an OK life after seeing what they saw,” she recalled tearfully.
Kardashian also revealed her fear of being raped, a fear only slightly relieved when one of the attackers closed her legs and restrained her with tape instead. The masked robbers then fled with millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry in what French media have described as the “heist of the century.”
The suspects on trial are mainly older men, many in their 60s and 70s, with extensive criminal records. Several go by nicknames reminiscent of vintage gangster films, such as “Old Omar” and “Blue Eyes.” One defendant, 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, admitted to tying Kardashian up but denied masterminding the robbery. Another suspect, 71-year-old Yunice Abbas, has since written a book detailing his version of the events, including a failed bicycle escape.
Investigators believe the robbers received inside information about Kardashian’s whereabouts from Gary Madar, brother of her Paris driver. Madar’s lawyer, however, dismissed the accusation, pointing out that Kardashian’s location was widely known due to her massive social media following, then over 350 million.
Testimony from Kardashian’s bodyguard and drivers revealed gaps in security that night. Her regular driver, exhausted after working a 21-hour shift, had asked to be replaced for the nightclub outing. Kardashian chose to remain at the hotel, a decision that ultimately placed her in the robbers’ path. Her bodyguard, Pascal D., described arriving at the scene to find Kardashian “crying hysterically.”
Now a global fashion mogul and one of the world’s most followed celebrities online, Kardashian rose to fame in the early 2000s through reality television and has since built a media and business empire. She has been listed among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and Fortune’s most powerful women.
The high-profile trial, which has drawn nearly 500 accredited journalists and large crowds, is expected to conclude by May 23.
