On October 2nd, when Kim Kardashian was enjoying her usual annual appearance during Paris Fashion Week, she posted her outfit of the day to Instagram - a beige Balenciaga jacket and thigh high blue boots with the caption "Details." Since then, she has disappeared from all social media, as less than twelve hours later she endured a horrific robbery at gunpoint.
The mother-of-two, who has a 3-year-old daughter, North, and 10-month-old son, Saint, with her rapper husband Kanye West, was staying at her private apartment-hotel when five robbers, dressed as police officers, entered her hotel room, held a gun to her head, bound and gagged her as she begged for her life. They then stole $10 million worth of jewelry before getting away on bicycles.
Kardashian was physically unharmed but clearly left shaken and traumatized by the incident. The 35-year-old reality star has since gone into hiding, photographed since the robbery on only two occasions (both of which she covered her face) and has cancelled all future public appearances and events.
Since 2007, she has been a recognizable face around the world and built her brand based around her image of extravagance, fuelled by a non-stop 24-hour publicity train. In 2015, Time Magazine included her on their list of 100 most influential people and this year Vogue described her as a "pop culture phenomenon." Forbes magazine have estimated her net worth is a staggering $51 million but since this traumatic event, everything could change. Based on news reports, family statements and interviews with law officers - here are 15 shocking things we didn't know about the robbery.
15 She Has Already Sued One Magazine For Claiming She Lied
Kim has always had her critics and haters over the years. No matter what she posts online, it's inevitable there will be trolls as many have described their dislike in the notion of being "famous for being famous." Although there was one magazine that went too far when it came to slinging dirt her way and Kim now intends to sue them for unspecified damages.
The defamation lawsuit was filed in New York against MediaTakeOut.com and its founder, Fred Mwangaguhunga, for reporting she faked the robbery and then filed a fraudulent insurance claim. The court papers read, "(Kim Kardashian) returned to the United States only to again be victimised, but this time by an online gossip tabloid that published a series of articles referring to her a liar and thief." Kim took legal action after the magazine refused to make a retraction of the original article and issue an apology.
14 The Kardashian-Jenners Share Bodyguards
After the robbery, fans immediately turned on Kim's bodyguard demanding to know "Where was he during the robbery?" Just hours before the incident, Kim posted a tongue-in-cheek photo on Instagram showing 6-foot-4-inch, 264-pound Pascal Duvier tailing behind her and included the caption: "This guy is always in my shot!" Kim had also previously thanked Duvier by tweeting: "My security @PascalDuvier is G!"
German-born, judo expert Duvier had been dismissed by Kim that night after she arrived back to the apartment-hotel. Duvier, who had previously worked as close-protection security for Ciara and the Black Eyed Peas, then went to a club with Kim's family Kourtney Kardashian, Kris and Kendall Jenner, to watch over them three. Shockingly despite a reported $350 million fortune between them, the Kardashian-Jenner family have yet to secure themselves personal bodyguards and instead share Duvier between them.
Following the robbery, Duvier told The Daily Mail, "The events that occurred in Paris was one of the most sickening things I have seen or heard. We have tips and leads and we will find you. That I promise you, you messed with the wrong one."
13 Her Bodyguard Filed For Bankruptcy 3 Months Ago
According to The Daily Mail, 43-year-old Pascal Duvier lodged a claim for company insolvency at Heidelberg administrative court on July 22 this year after his company ProtectSecurity firm racked up debts totalling $1,093,518. The insolvency document for the case claimed the company's "inability to pay" meant that a lawyer was appointed by the court to examine their finances. The lawyer told the newspaper, "There is so much debt. There are many claimants. I cannot say the exact number. Lots."
Duvier's head office in Eppelheim, Germany, has since been shut down. A woman who runs a hairdressing salon on the same mini-industrial estate where the office was located revealed, "He came here with his secretary but didn't stay long. Since then the blinds have been down and there has not been a soul here."
There were rumors that Duvier had been fired by Kim's husband Kanye West, fuelled by fans who noticed that all posts mentioning the celebrity couple had been deleted from Duvier's social media, but according to this was just another safety measure put in place following the Paris incident.
12 She Is Suffering From Emotional Trauma
Nine days after the incident, Kim's sister Khloe Kardashian appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show and confirmed what everyone already assumed - that Kim was "not doing well." She added, "I mean, it's incredibly traumatic what happened to her. But our family is super close and great and we'll get through it together." She then thanked all the fans for their outpouring of support as she continued, "We do appreciate all of your guys' love and support and it will take time."
On one of the only two occasions she has been photographed since the incident (the other was as she fled Paris via private jet after the attack), she emerged from her New York apartment, covered in a large hooded sweatshirt, jogging pants and casual sneakers, with a baseball cap pulled over her face. She kept her head down as she held her daughter North close and looked nothing like the preened, pristine image we have seen over the years, always in stilettos.
11 Kim Loses $1 Million A Week Not Posting On Social Media
The Kim Kardashian brand is reportedly losing $1 million a month now she is lying low after the robbery. Celebrity financial advisor Samuel Rad told People magazine, "(Kim’s) overall brand is generating at least $1 million a month through just general posts, not including anything that’s specifically being contracted with companies.
Kim will still continue to earn even as she remains offline thanks to the success of her mobile game app, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. In 2015 alone, Forbes reported the game made $71.8 million. She also earns through downloads of her $1.99 Kimojis, coffee table book Selfish, Kardashian beauty range and Beach Bunny swimwear.
Rad also advised that if Kim does return to social media it could land her a big day. He explained, "I think what’s going to happen is the first post she’s going to put up after not having posted for (a while), it’s going to get so many more followers and hits. I think that it might actually end up helping her. If Kim positions herself correctly, she can have a real blockbuster media score."
10 French Police Believe The Robbers Were "Tipped Off"
Parisian police believe the robbers could have been "tipped off" according to a report by TMZ. They revealed, "(The police) are convinced someone tipped off the robbers to strike at precisely the moment they could get in and out without detection."
They added "We're told if there was a tip-off person, there's a long suspect list, there are multiple units in the building and lots of people involved in Paris Fashion Week knew Kim's comings and goings. Our sources say cops are in the process of checking phone records of various people in and around the building to track suspicious activity."
Another report from US Weekly revealed that Parisian police found inconstancies in the concierge's account of what actually happened the night of the robbery. The unnamed concierge allegedly had a gun forced to his head and was told to open the door to Kim's room with the spare key they had. The investigation continues.
9 The Robbers Didn't Know Who Kim Actually Was
French news channel BFM TV reported that the five men involved in the robbery were all European men, aged between 40 and 50-years-old and spoke French without an accent. They also reported the concierge told police that during the robbery they demanded in French, "Where’s the rapper’s wife?" leading investigators to believe they didn't actually know who Kim was.
Hotel de Pourtales, where the robbery took place is known locally as "No Address Hotel" and has been a residency used by Kanye West since 2005. Other stars including Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna have stayed in the 3,700-square-foot penthouse that costs $17,000 a night.
Following the robbery, only one major French newspaper actually reported on the crime. Le Parisien ran the story on their front page whereas other media outlets either reported within a small section of their news or not at all. Considering the media blackout surrounding the robbery, it could also prove that Kim's celebrity status hasn't travelled that well across the pond.
8 Kim Kardashian's Engagement Ring Was Engraved With "Adidas"
Kim only wore her second engagement ring for three months before it was stolen from her during the robbery. Her husband Kanye West had the huge $4 million, 20-carat, emerald cut Loraine Scwartz surprisingly engraved on the inside with the word "Adidas."
Only days before the robbery, she revealed to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show Radio Andy, "My husband was very nice. It’s a really cute story, he’s going to kill me if I share it!" Before she continued, "I was sleeping and he woke me up in the middle of the night and said, ‘Babe, babe, I got you something from Adidas. And I said, ‘I’ll get the shoes in the morning babe, I’m sleeping.’ And then he put a box on my pillow, a Lorraine Schwartz box, and he goes, ‘No, open your eyes,’ and I opened my eyes and it was a box, and I like, woke up, and I was like, ‘What is this?'"
She continued, "‘Well, you know I just did that big Adidas deal, so I got you something from Adidas!’ and he engraved Adidas on the band inside because he’s funny like that. And I was like, ‘Do I have to give my other ring back?’ and he was like, ‘Can you do that?’ and I was like ‘Nooo! You can’t do that, I’m just kidding.’ Thank you, Adidas!"
7 Kim Was Also Robbed Of Her Personal Data
During the robbery, Kim was bound, gagged and dumped in the bathtub then looked in the bathroom as the robbers raided her room. She managed to set herself free from the wrist restraints and open a window to scream for help - this woke her best friend Simone Harouche, who was sleeping in a room nearby, and she raised the alarm.
Two personal mobile phones were stolen from Kim during the robbery but although she has lost a lot of precious photographs - her personal data has also been stolen however the robbers may struggle to actually access it. Andrew McDonnell, vice president at AsTech Consulting, assured US Weekly that if Kim had used a passcode for her phone she should be saved from a hack. He explained, "Without the pass code, any iPhone from the past few years - I’m sure Kim Kardashian’s was that new - it’s going be extremely difficult to get data out of the phone without the pass code."
In 2014, Kim was part of the notorious iCloud hack known as "The Fappening" that affected many celebrities. As nude photos of her were leaked online without her permission, she got her own back by cashing in as they were added to her Selfish book. She told E! online, "I wasn’t intending to put these in the book but saw them online during the iCloud hack."
6 Kim Was Already Nervous About Her Safety Before The Robbery
One week before Kim's robbery, she was ambushed by Ukrainian prankster, YouTube star and "celebrity journalist" Vitalli Sediuk. He grabbed her leg and attempted to kiss her bum before her bodyguard, Duvier, threw him off. Sediuk wrote in an Instagram post: "I was protesting Kim for using fake butt implants. I encourage her and the rest of Kardashian clan to popularise natural beauty among teenage girls who follow and defend them blindly." He was also the man responsible for picking up Gigi Hadid in his arms as she was walking to her car.
Just one day before the robbery, a source told NY Post, "There’s a circus that follows Kim’s every move. Her new security team is recommending she employ a body double to help confuse would-be assailants. The kids being kidnapped is Kim’s biggest fear." Thankfully on the night of the robbery, North and Saint were back in New York with their father.
Kanye has spent more than $10 million on security since the robbery, as he attempts to assure his wife that now she is home her security is his top priority.
5 Keeping Up With The Kardashians Has Been Put On Hold
Filming for Keeping Up With The Kardashians is currently on hold as a spokesperson for E! commented, "Kim’s well-being is our core focus right now. No decision has been made as to when production will resume." Life & Style magazine reported that Kim could actually be quitting for good. They said, "Kim says the show is putting her in danger because her every move is documented by their cameras."
However, if Kim does choose to quit the show then she will have to pay multiple millions to E! as she has already signed part of the $80 million deal for more seasons of the show. She is currently contracted to appear in two more seasons and the channel won't be too pleased with losing the biggest star of the show.
Another source claimed that the robbery has thrown the entire Kardashian family into "total chaos" and KUWTK being on hold is just the beginning.
4 Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna Were The Last To Know
Kim's robbery was worldwide news, but the last people to find out were her brother Rob Kardashian and her future sister-in-law, Blac Chyna. The engaged couple, who are expecting their first child together - a baby girl - next month, were throwing a baby shower for close friends and Chyna's family at their home in L.A. As they wanted this to be a private affair, all guests were asked to switch off their mobile phones before they attended the party.
Rob and Chyna sent private Snapchats to Kim showing her what was happening at the party just hours before she fell asleep. By the time everyone had switched their phones back on, the news had already broke. The moment was captured for an upcoming episode of their reality show Rob & Chyna when Rob tells the cameras, "No one at the party knew of anything that happened to Kim because everyone’s phones were taken."
3 Kim Will Probably Never See Her Jewelry Again
The chances of Kim ever seeing her jewelry items again are very slim - or if they are returned to her they won't resemble what was stolen at all. Scott Selby, author of Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History, told People, "What happens next is that these thieves will bring the diamonds and jewelry to somebody they already have lined up before they did this job - 'a fence'. The fence will take apart this jewelry, so that loses value, and now you have all these separate stones."
He continued, "If the jewelry is recognizable, you can’t sell them. So, you take it apart, melt down any precious metals, any medium to small stones - the fence will know somebody in the industry who will buy them at a discount (on the Black Market). That person will then sell them on and nobody will be able to tell that they’re stolen, only the initial buyer would know something is wrong."
The crazy thing is Kim might even bump into someone in the future who is wearing her own cut down diamond. Selby revealed, "Diamonds like that change hands, five times in two days. Nobody will ever know. They will be on the fingers of Americans within six months to a year."
2 Kim Blames Herself For The Robbery
The robbery has understandably broken Kim. Heartbreaking reports revealed how she begged for her life and prayed the robbers would spare her life, thinking of her two children, as she had a gun held to head.
Despite all the emotional support she has had from her family, and no doubt the best post-trauma specialists working with her, Kim continues to torture herself as she puts all the blame on her lifestyle. An insider told US Weekly, "This incident was a completely life-changing event for Kim. She realizes she was living in a bubble doing what she was doing. She loved flaunting her wealth and being so public. She felt safe and never really thought about her vulnerability. Now she knows she was so naive. Everything has to change going forward."
Kim was also criticised by her close friend and Chanel director, Karl Lagerfeld, who told press at Paris Fashion Week, "I don't understand why she was in a hotel with no security. If you're that famous and you put all your jewellery on the internet then you go to a hotel where nobody can come near to the room." The 83-year-old added, "You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you."
1 This Could Be The End Of "Brand Kim"
We have lost a lot of celebrities this year thanks to the curse of 2016 and Kim might be another star we will have to wave farewell too. After almost ten years of being spotlight, this could be the end of "Brand Kim." She was contracted to appear at Hakkasan Las Vegas Nightclub two more times this year, but the club said, "Given recent circumstances, Kim Kardashian will be unable to make her previously scheduled appearance at Hakkasan." Her birthday celebrations that were planned for October 21st have also been pulled.
Kim also returned to Twitter - but only to delete a number of users she was following. Her "following" count dropped from 121 to 108 overnight as she is currently reconsidering scaling back on social media.
E! news online reported, "Kim is very paranoid still when she is alone. She has been having flashbacks and hasn't been sleeping well." They added, "Her sisters and mom have been checking on her every day. Kanye has been by her side when he isn't working and calling her nonstop to check in on her."
No matter what the future holds for Kim, there are many fans worldwide wishing her a full recovery.
Sources: people.com, usmagazine.com, tmz.com
