Kim Kardashian Confronts Paris Robber, Offers Forgiveness Amidst Testimony on Lasting Trauma

In a Paris courtroom on Tuesday, May 13th, Kim Kardashian faced the man who orchestrated the violent 2016 robbery that deeply impacted her life, telling him she has "forgiven" him during an emotional and revealing testimony.

The reality television star, 44, recounted the harrowing experience of being tied up and gagged by a gang of burglars who stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from her central Paris apartment during Paris Fashion Week in 2016, leaving her with significant trauma.

As she addressed defendant Aomar Ait Khedache in court, Kardashian acknowledged and "appreciated" his letter of apology written shortly after his arrest – though she was unaware of it at the time. However, she emphasized that the "traumatic" ordeal has irrevocably altered her life.

"I am obviously emotional about this – this experience changed my life, my family's life," she told the court.

"Back home in the States, I am involved in the justice system and deeply desire to become a lawyer, advocating for justice for others.

"I do appreciate the letter, truly. I appreciate it, and I forgive you.

"But that forgiveness does not erase the emotion, the feelings, the trauma, and the ways in which my life has been changed."

Shortly after offering her forgiveness, Kardashian received a note from the defendant during a brief recess in the trial.

The note read: "Your forgiveness is a sunshine that has enlightened me... I am forever grateful."

Kedhache, who is deaf and mute, is alleged to be one of the two individuals who pointed a firearm at Kardashian's face during the robbery.

In his letter, read aloud in court by Judge David De Pas, Khedache stated that he was not seeking "forgiveness" from Kardashian but wanted her to understand the depth of his "regret" for his actions.

He wrote: "Madame, after seeing you on a French television program and witnessing your emotion, realizing the psychological harm I inflicted upon you, I felt compelled to write to you.

"Not with the intention of obtaining forgiveness... I want to convey to you, human to human, how deeply I regret my actions and how moved I was to see you cry... I am sorry for the pain I caused you, your husband, your children, and those who love you.

"Of course, the past cannot be undone, but I hope this letter offers some solace in helping you overcome the trauma you endured because of me."

In further testimony, Kardashian stated that she "absolutely did think [she] was gonna die" during the robbery, recounting being picked up by an intruder and thrown onto her bathroom floor, where her mouth was taped shut.

She explained: "Then I waited a few minutes – I wasn't sure if they were going to retrieve something else and return – but after a few minutes, I heard nothing.

"I was able to remove the tape and then went downstairs to find Simone [her stylist]."

The star of 'The Kardashians' was with her older sister Kourtney during the heist and "prayed" for her family, fearing her sister was about to witness her being shot de@d.

She recounted: "At that point, I was certain that was when they were going to shoot me.

"So I said a prayer for my family, my mother, my sister, and my best friend. I hoped they would have an OK life afterward.

"I believed I would be shot dead on the bed, and [Kourtney] would witness that and carry that memory forever."

Meanwhile, co-defendant Yunice Abbas, who authored the book 'I Held Up Kim Kardashian', drew criticism from Kardashian, who told the court that his actions were "not fair."

She stated: "I honestly was really shocked when I saw there was a book.

"Not only did he do this, but now [he's] profiting from it – my jewelry, my memories, the watch my father, who passed away, gave me when I graduated high school. I can't get that back.

"It wasn't just jewelry... someone took away my memories, and now he is capitalizing by writing a book? It didn't seem fair to me."

In the years since the robbery, the SKIMS founder has sought therapy to cope with the trauma.

She explained: "I have had to change my life... if someone was coming up the stairs and I called out to them and they didn't reply, I'd start crying because it reminded me of that time.

"Other than that, I try to be strong and protective, and I have a lot of security around my house – even if it's excessive or ridiculous to other people, that's what I need to feel safe and sleep, and I'm OK with that."