Kim Kardashian is reliving her 2016 nightmare and taking her stand with her testimony during her day in court for the Paris robbery trial. The reality star and businesswoman, and her mother, Kris Jenner, who were dressed in conservative black, arrived in France on Tuesday, May 13, for the ordeal.
*Below documents sexual violence and trauma. Reader discretion is advised.*
Dressed in her robe that October night in 2016 at her hotel, Kim was preparing for bad, when she heard a strange noise coming from the hallway. Initially, she thought that it was her sister Kourtney who had joined her for Paris Fashion Week. Instead, it was a small group from the gang, and one had pinned the reality star to the bed, tying her ankles and hands together, while another robbed nearly $10 million worth of jewelry, including her engagement ring from her ex-husband, Kanye West.
"I was certain that was the moment that he was going to rape me," Kardashian told the court, detailing her fear of getting assaulted, and was reported by the Associated Press. "I absolutely did think I was going to die."
The image of Kourtney walking in and seeing her younger sister deceased on the bed flashed across Kim's mind as the robbery unfolded. Then, the SKIMS founder reflected on how she was a mother with two young children, North, who was three at the time, and Saint, who was less than a year old.
“I have babies. I have to make it home," Kim highlighted. "They can take everything. I just have to make it home [for my babies].”
One of the ten charged suspects, Aomar Aït Khedache, wrote Kim an apology letter in 2017, a few month after the robbery, he expressed with the words:
"I want to reach out to you as a human being to tell you how much I regret my actions, how much I was moved and touched to see your tears. Of course, we cannot undo the past but I hope this letter will make you gradually forget the traumatism you experienced through my fault."
Kim, for her part, was moved by Khedache's remorse, but like most things, one cannot forget.
"I appreciate the letter. I forgive you for what happened. That said, it doesn't change my trauma nor the fact that my life [following the robbery] was changed forever."
After the proceedings, Kim hopes to move on and have closure.
What Kim Kardashian has learned from the robbery
Before the incident, Kim was highly interactive with her possessions on social media, which ultimately led to the robbery. Nowadays, the mother of four is far more precarious when posting content. The event also caused PTSD when staying out late, and Kim developed a sensitivity to loud sounds and noises.
She additionally opened up about the experience on both Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Kardashians. The robbery is something that will not have a full erasure, but moving past it will help ease it.