A French court has found eight men guilty in connection with the 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian, who was held at gunpoint in a luxury hotel in Paris during Fashion Week.
The verdict comes nearly nine years after the high-profile crime that shocked fans and redefined how celebrities approach privacy and security.
The robbery happened in the early morning hours of October 2, 2016. Kardashian, in Paris for fashion events, was staying in a private hotel residence when five masked men broke in. She was bound with zip-ties, threatened with a gun, and locked in a bathroom while the robbers took jewellery worth nearly £5 million. Her testimony in court earlier this month described how she feared for her life and thought she might never see her children again.
French police launched a detailed investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of a group of suspects, mostly older men, who became known in the media as the “grandpa robbers.” DNA evidence found on the zip-ties and intercepted wiretaps helped piece together the group’s actions before, during, and after the robbery. Despite their advanced age—some in their late 60s and 70s—the men were found to be experienced in organized theft, with a history in France’s criminal underworld.
The court cleared two of the ten people on trial but convicted the rest, including the man seen as the gang’s leader, Aomar Aït Khedache. He was sentenced to eight years, with five suspended. Three others received seven-year sentences, also with most of the time suspended. Because of the years they had already spent in detention awaiting trial, none of the convicted individuals will return to prison.
Although the stolen jewels were never recovered, the case served as a turning point for Kardashian. After the attack, she dramatically changed her public presence, reducing social media activity and no longer posting her whereabouts in real-time. The crime altered the way celebrities worldwide handle personal security, especially when traveling.
During the trial, Kardashian was not physically present but gave testimony and released a statement afterward. She said the event left a lasting mark on her and her family, but she expressed appreciation to French authorities for pursuing the case to its conclusion. She called for healing and expressed hope that justice had been served.
Prosecutors rejected defense claims that the group’s age should excuse their actions. They argued that the gang had carefully planned the robbery and used their experience to target Kardashian. Some of the men expressed regret in court, but others tried to downplay their roles, including the alleged ringleader, who blamed the planning on a mysterious figure prosecutors believe never existed.
For years, the case lingered in France’s slow-moving legal system, but now, with the court’s decision, one of the most talked-about celebrity crimes of the past decade finally reaches its legal conclusion. Whether it brings closure to Kardashian or changes in celebrity culture for good, the impact of that night in Paris still lingers.