Kim Kardashian offered forgiveness to the mastermind behind her traumatic 2016 Paris robbery during a powerful court appearance in Paris on Tuesday, May 13.
The 44-year-old reality star was visibly emotional as she faced Aomar Ait Khedache, the alleged ringleader of the gang that tied her up and stole millions in jewelry during Paris Fashion Week nearly nine years ago. Speaking in court, Kardashian acknowledged the letter of apology Khedache wrote after his arrest — though she only recently learned about it — and said the experience profoundly changed her life.
I appreciate the letter. I forgive you,” Kardashian told the court. “But it doesn’t erase the trauma, the emotions, or the way my life has changed.
Khedache, who is deaf and mute and allegedly one of the men who pointed a gun at Kardashian during the heist, passed her another note during a court break, saying:
Your forgiveness is a sunshine that has enlightened me… I am forever grateful.
In a previously submitted letter read aloud by Judge David De Pas, Khedache expressed deep remorse, stating:
I am not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know how much I regret what I did and the pain I caused.
During her testimony, Kardashian recounted fearing for her life:
I absolutely thought I was going to die. I was thrown to the bathroom floor, my mouth taped shut. I said a prayer for my family, thinking I would be shot and my sister Kourtney would find me dead.
Kardashian also criticized co-defendant Yunice Abbas, who later wrote a book titled “I Held Up Kim Kardashian.”
It wasn’t fair,” she said. “Not only did he do this, but he’s now profiting from it — from my memories, my jewelry, even the watch my late father gave me. That can never be replaced.
Since the robbery, Kardashian has undergone therapy and dramatically increased her security measures:
If someone walks up the stairs and doesn’t respond when I call, I start crying. I need to feel safe, even if it seems excessive to others. That’s what lets me sleep at night.