Reality television star Kim Kardashian has delivered a stunning act of forgiveness towards one of the men who robbed her at gunpoint in Paris, as revealed in the latest episode of the Hulu series The Kardashians. The 45-year-old Skims founder returned to the French capital to testify in the long-delayed trial, where she was unexpectedly moved by a written apology from one of the assailants, sent years earlier but never read by her until it was recited in court.
A Decade-Old Apology and a Courtroom Reconciliation
The seventh episode of the show's current season focused entirely on Kardashian's tense journey back to Paris, nearly nine years after the traumatic October 2016 incident. During the trial, the court heard a letter from Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, one of only two surviving robbers who admitted guilt. Khedache had sent the apology in 2017, but Kardashian confessed she had never opened it until a judge read it aloud.
"I think that's very sweet," Kardashian said of the sentiments, describing the gesture as "very noble." She became visibly emotional, stating she was "hysterically crying" as the words were heard. "Tears were just, like, rolling down my face," she recounted.
In the letter, Khedache wrote that seeing "the emotion and psychological damage I inflicted on you" prompted him to write. He insisted it was not to seek leniency, admitting his participation and expressing profound regret. "I come to you as a human being and want to tell you how much I regret what I did. It destroyed me to see you in tears," Kardashian read from the note. "I am very sorry for the suffering I made you endure. You, your family, and your children."
Kardashian recalled that during the robbery, Khedache had shown her a sliver of compassion. While she was tied up and blinded, he whispered, "Just shh, you OK," in English. This memory, coupled with the apology, led her to feel more sympathy for him than the other perpetrators.
Revisiting the Trauma and Facing Doubters
The episode provided a chilling reconstruction of the robbery night during Paris Fashion Week. Kardashian, then without her security detail, was in an apartment with childhood friend Simone Harouche when men disguised as police stormed in. She described the terror of being zip-tied, duct-taped, and fearing she would be raped or murdered as the thieves stole millions in jewellery, including her $4 million engagement ring.
In a deeply personal revelation, Kardashian claimed that her ex-husband, Kanye West, was among those who cast doubt on her ordeal. "Even my ex-husband had said, 'And you faked your robbery for a TV show'," she disclosed, her voice cracking with emotion. She described the accusation, made "in front of all these people," as feeling like "a knife to my heart."
This claim of scepticism extended to public figures like radio host Howard Stern. "So to finally be able to go to trial and face these people... I'm like, 'See guys, it was real,'" she stated.
Seeking Closure and a Controversial Verdict
Kardashian's return to Paris was fraught with anxiety, exacerbated by a swarm of paparazzi that made her mother, Kris Jenner, reference the death of Princess Diana. Defying prosecutors' requests to dress conservatively and avoid jewellery, Kardashian wore a plunging black suit and a 22-carat diamond ring, a replacement for her stolen engagement ring. She said she wanted to "take back my power" and "taunt those losers."
After a gruelling six-hour testimony, an exhausted Kardashian reflected on the ordeal's unexpected impact. She shockingly admitted the robbery was a "growth experience" that made her a "better person" by reducing her materialism, though she joked prosecutors "would have killed me if I said that."
The episode concluded with the verdict, delivered two weeks later. Eight out of ten people charged were convicted. All received sentences of three to eight years but avoided further prison time due to time already served. While Kardashian forgave Khedache, she criticised another robber, 71-year-old Yunice Abbas, for writing a tell-all book about the crime, calling it "tasteless."
Ultimately, Kardashian, known for her advocacy in prison reform, stated her belief in "accountability, growth and rehabilitation" meant she would always be "a forgiver." The emotional journey provided a stark look at the lasting trauma of the heist and a complex path towards personal closure.
