A hotel receptionist who was held at gunpoint during Kim Kardashian’s robbery in Paris in 2016 testified in court about the terrifying ordeal. Abderrahmane Ouatiki described Kardashian’s state as "serious terror" when armed men broke into her hotel room.
Ouatiki, 48, was working alone at the reception of an upscale apartment building that night. He thought the men, wearing police jackets, were real officers and opened the door for them. Instead, they forced him onto his knees, handcuffed him, and threatened him with a gun, demanding to know where Kardashian was.
As they approached her room, Kardashian called out, thinking it was her sister returning from a night out. Ouatiki recalled that the robbers barged in and roughly pushed her. "She was hysterical," he said, noting a sense of urgency to calm the situation. In the chaos, Kardashian managed to offer them around a thousand euros and handed over her 18.88-carat diamond engagement ring, valued at about $4 million, along with other jewelry from a nearby box.
The robbery, which took place on October 3, 2016, is one of the most high-profile heists in France in over two decades. The robbers, known as the "grandpa robbers" in the media, are on trial for stealing an estimated €10 million in jewelry. Interestingly, data suggests that celebrity-related crimes have increased as social media has amplified the visibility of their lives.
Ouatiki, an Algerian native, was pursuing his PhD at Sorbonne University. His research focuses on extremist discourse, making his experience during the robbery particularly striking. Surrounded by so much chaos, he was drawn into a moment he never expected, merging his academic focus with a real-life situation filled with fear and violence.
This crime has sparked conversations on social media about celebrity safety and the vulnerabilities that come with fame. Many users expressed their shock at how easily Kim Kardashian was targeted in a supposedly secure environment.
As the trial continues, with Kardashian expected to testify soon, this case remains a painful chapter in a story that intertwines celebrity culture, crime, and human vulnerability. You can learn more about celebrity crime trends and their societal implications in reports by organizations focused on media and crime statistics (see Pew Research).