Nine years after the “most traumatic night of her life”, Kim Kardashian returned to Paris this Tuesday to testify against the 10 suspects involved in her 2016 diamond larceny. To recap: in one of the most daring celebrity robberies in modern French history, the American entrepreneur was held at gunpoint and robbed of USD 9 million worth of jewellery.
This week, Kardashian stood metres away from the accused in courtroom at the Palais de Justice, giving a testimony that was emotional, measured, and forgiving, despite the ordeal.
Before she even spoke, Kardashian made headlines for what she wore to the courtroom: a sculptural vintage John Galliano suit dress, Alaïa sunglasses, and Saint Laurent slingbacks. Dripping in diamonds, Kardashian’s courtroom appearance was a masterclass in calculated defiance.
Draped across her neck was a USD3 million Samer Halimeh necklace boasting 52.17 carats of diamonds accentuating a 10.13-carat pear-shaped centre stone. She paired it with a USD8,000 Briony Raymond pave diamond ear cuff, a diamond anklet recently gifted to her by daughter North West, and a 22-carat diamond ring reportedly purchased with insurance payout from her stolen engagement piece gifted by ex-husband Kanye West. This was a look charged with intent, far from the understated image she adopted in the months after the robbery.
Inside a Paris courtroom, Kardashian faced nine men and one woman. Most of them in their seventies were dubbed the “grandpa robbers” by French media. The reality icon confessed she was surprised to see that the suspects were older. One of them, 71-year-old Yunice Abbas, even wrote a 2021 book “I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian.”
Another, 69-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, accused of pointing a gun at Kardashian, is deaf and mute. One suspect has died since the crime. Another is too ill to stand trial. The rest are being tried for armed robbery, kidnapping, and associated charges.
“I believe so much in second chances,” she told the court. “I meet people who’ve done horrible crimes, and I try to have empathy for them. But I also fight for victims who’ve been through horrific crimes.”
The words carry extra weight from someone who has publicly wrestled with her on past. Kardashian spoke candidly about her frustration with being haunted by the early scandals that once plagued her. “I know better than anyone that I hate when people bring up my past or mistakes that I’ve made in the past,” she remarked.
Over the years, Kim Kardashian has successfully evolved in more ways than one—refusing to be defined by her past. She is the founder of the billion-dollar brand SKIMS and private equity firm SKKY Partners. The fashion icon has also partnered with heritage houses like Fendi, Balenciaga, and Dolce & Gabbana on blockbuster collections.
But beyond the glitz, Kardashian has carved out a meaningful role in advocacy. She has become a prominent voice in the fight for prison reform and criminal justice. Viewers of The Kardashians would recognise her work with legal advocates and The White House, championing policy reform and supporting clemency cases.
She also uses her celebrity influence to spark vital conversations about rehabilitation and second chances. Most recently, she added “actress” to her repertoire of talents, with lead roles in American Horror Story and the upcoming legal drama All’s Fair.
Her return to Paris—drenched in the very thing her robbers tried to take from her—proved that the global business mogul didn’t just reclaim her power. She reminded the world that second chances aren’t about forgetting. They’re about refusing to let our past define us.
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