Reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian is set to testify in a Paris court as part of a high-profile trial over a $10 million jewelry robbery that targeted her in October 2016. The trial, which began on May 12, 2025, involves 12 defendants accused of orchestrating the heist, one of France’s largest in decades, and has renewed focus on celebrity security and organized crime.
The robbery occurred during Paris Fashion Week, when Kardashian, then 36, was bound, gagged, and held at gunpoint in her luxury apartment at the No Address Hotel. The assailants, posing as police officers, stole jewelry including a $4 million diamond ring and a $1.6 million necklace, with most items never recovered. Kardashian, who was unharmed but deeply shaken, described the ordeal as a 13-minute nightmare that prompted her to scale back public appearances and enhance personal security. Her testimony, expected via video link from Los Angeles due to safety concerns, will detail the incident and its emotional impact, aiding prosecutors in establishing the crime’s severity.
The defendants, aged 30 to 70, face charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, and criminal association, with potential sentences of up to 20 years. The ringleader, identified as 67-year-old Yunis Abbas, allegedly planned the heist after months of surveillance, exploiting lax hotel security. Police recovered DNA evidence and arrested the suspects in 2017, but the trial was delayed by legal challenges and France’s backlog of criminal cases. Prosecutors allege the group, linked to prior high-value thefts, melted down or sold the stolen jewels, with $2 million traced to Antwerp’s diamond market.
The case has exposed vulnerabilities in Paris’s luxury tourism sector, which generates €20 billion annually. It prompted reforms, including stricter hotel security protocols and increased police patrols during major events. Kardashian’s involvement has drawn global attention, with her legal team emphasizing her cooperation despite the trauma of reliving the event. The trial, expected to last three weeks, will also hear from hotel staff and police investigators, with a verdict anticipated by June 2025. France’s justice system aims to send a strong message against targeting high-profile visitors, as the case underscores the intersection of fame, wealth, and crime.