A Paris court on Tuesday awarded reality television star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian a symbolic €1 (approximately $1.15) in civil damages related to the armed robbery she suffered in 2016, the exact amount she had requested.
The ruling, delivered on September 15, 2026, comes just weeks before the 10th anniversary of the high-profile heist and follows criminal convictions handed down last year. Kardashian’s longtime friend and stylist Simone Harouche, who was also present at the hotel during the attack, received the same nominal sum at her request.
In a joint statement, Kardashian and Harouche said: “The experience was deeply traumatic, and its impact has stayed with us. Today’s decision is not about the compensation, but about accountability and recognition. We are thankful to the Court and everyone who supported us throughout this process, and we hope to now move forward and continue to heal.”
The court also awarded approximately €109,516 to a former receptionist at the Hôtel de Pourtalès, who said he was traumatized by the events, and €50,000 to the hotel itself.
The 2016 Robbery
On the night of October 2–3, 2016, during Paris Fashion Week, armed men—some disguised as police officers—forced their way into the Hôtel de Pourtalès in the city’s upscale Madeleine district. Kardashian, then 36, was alone in her luxury suite after her bodyguard had accompanied her sister Kourtney elsewhere.
The intruders restrained the night receptionist and made their way to Kardashian’s room. They held her at gunpoint, bound her hands and legs with plastic zip ties and duct tape, gagged her, and left her in the bathtub while they stole jewelry valued at more than $6 million. Among the items taken was a large diamond engagement ring, estimated at around $4 million, given to her by then-husband Kanye West (now known as Ye). Most of the jewelry has never been recovered.
Kardashian has repeatedly described the ordeal as “the most terrifying experience of my life.” She testified that she believed she was going to die and pleaded with the robbers, telling them she had children and needed to live. She later freed herself and returned to the United States by private jet the same morning.
French media later dubbed the perpetrators les papys braqueurs—the “grandpa robbers”—because several of those involved were in their 60s and 70s.
Criminal Convictions
In May 2025, a Paris court convicted eight people in connection with the robbery on charges including armed robbery and related offenses. Two defendants were acquitted. The ringleader, Aomar Aït Khedache (also known as “Omar le Vieux”), received the heaviest sentence of eight years, with most of it suspended. Other sentences ranged from three to seven years, largely suspended.
The court cited the defendants’ advanced ages, health issues, time already served in pretrial detention, and the long passage of time since the crime. As a result, none of those convicted returned to prison. DNA evidence recovered from the restraints used on Kardashian played a key role in identifying Aït Khedache.
During the trial, Kardashian traveled to Paris to give emotional testimony. She told Aït Khedache that she forgave him after learning of an apology letter he had written, while stressing that the forgiveness did not erase the trauma.
After the verdicts, she issued a statement expressing gratitude to French authorities and reaffirming her commitment to justice and accountability.
Symbolic Award Explained
Requesting a symbolic €1 is an established practice in French civil law. It allows victims to obtain formal legal recognition of the harm suffered without seeking a large financial payout from the defendants. Kardashian and Harouche chose this route to emphasize accountability over monetary compensation.
The civil ruling effectively closes a major chapter in a case that captured global attention, highlighted the risks of social media visibility for high-profile figures, and influenced celebrity security practices worldwide.
 by a Paris court after being the victim of an armed robbery back in 2016.){kind=link}