All eyes are set to be on Kim Kardashian today when she takes the stand to testify in a ‘grandpa robbery’ trial, almost a decade on from allegedly being held at gunpoint
Kim Kardashian has opened up about the ordeal over the years (Image: mirror.co.uk)
Kim Kardashian was allegedly robbed at gunpoint and had millions of dollars’ worth of her jewellery taken from her when she was staying in a hotel in Paris on October 3, 2016. Today, she’s set to revisit what she has described as the “scariest thing” she’s ever been through in her life. The businesswoman and reality television star is expected to testify this afternoon to give her version of events of the ordeal, which saw several men posing as police officers storm into her hotel suite where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week and steal a reported $10million in jewellery. This included her beloved diamond engagement ring worth $4 million from her ex-husband, Kanye West. Kim, now 44, claimed she was held at gunpoint with tape over her mouth, put in her luxury suite’s bathtub and had her wrists tied. The mother, who broke her silence in January 2017, believed she was going to be killed.
READ MORE: Kim Kardashian ‘unbearably terrified’ when armed robbers burst into Paris hotel room, court told
Kim appeared at the Met Gala days before her Paris court testimony (Image: Getty Images)
Yesterday, (Monday, May 12) witness Abderrahmane Ouatiki, who was the hotel receptionist, told the court he was marched up to Kardashian’s hotel room and was made to translate the robbers’ demands. He said she was “in a state of complete terror” and “completely hysterical” as a “nervous” man directed a gun at her. Ouatiki added: “He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified.” The night receptionist also stated he feared for his life, too, as the burglars were evidently irritated by Kardashian’s screaming. The court heard three people kept watch in the reception of Hotel de Pourtalès while two other men made Ouatiki take them to Kardashian’s suite, where they demanded she give up her engagement ring and stole other jewels. They were arrested three months after the ordeal alongside several others thought to be accessories to the robbery. A total of 12 people were due to appear in court, but one died in March and another was excused from the proceedings due to health reasons. All but two of the remaining 10 deny any involvement in the crime.
Kim Kardashian broke down in tears while talking about her Paris robbery(Image: E! )
The precious jewels were never found, but the French authorities have reason to believe they were broken up and sold on. The case has been called the “grandpa robbers” trial due to five of the suspects being pensioners. Aomar Ait Khedache, the 68-year-old alleged leader of the gang, was questioned in court last week but had to write his answers down as he’s deaf and mute. The court heard that when Kardashian was tied up, she only wore a bathrobe, and the belt came undone. Ouatiki declined to discuss this in detail when her lawyer, Léonore Hennerick, asked about it. He just said: “You have to respect the victim, I think.” Recalling that moment with journalist David Letterman in an emotional interview in 2020, Kardashian said: “I was like, ‘Okay, this is the time I’m going to get raped.'” She also told Letterman she feared for her life and for her older sister, Kourtney Kardashian, who was in Paris with her.
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Kim got emotional as she revisited the horrific Paris robbery on David Letterman’s show (Image: Netflix)
Tour de France winner and five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins says he became a cocaine addict in the years after his career.
The 45-year-old Briton told the Observer about the extent of the addiction he developed after his retirement from cycling in 2016, and explained how his family members feared for him.
“There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,” said Wiggins.
“I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realise – I was high most of the time for many years.”
Wiggins won Olympic gold medals on the track at the Athens, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro Games, and also won the road time trial at London 2012, two weeks after becoming the first British rider to win the Tour de France.
Since his retirement, Wiggins has spoken about his father’s jealousy and being groomed by a coach as a child, while he was also declared bankrupt in June 2024.
Wiggins revealed how disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, who has reportedly offered to pay for Wiggins’ therapy, has helped him during his recovery.
He said the American, who was stripped of seven Tour de France titles for using performance-enhancing drugs, had “worried about me for a long time” and that Armstrong speaks to Wiggins’ son Ben – also a professional cyclist – “a lot” about his father.
Speaking about his cocaine addiction, which he quit a year ago, Wiggins added: “I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here.
“I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. It was not the person I wanted to be. I realised I was hurting a lot of people around me.
“There’s no middle ground for me. I can’t just have a glass of wine – if I have a glass of wine, then I’m buying drugs. My proclivity to addiction was easing the pain that I lived with.”
Wiggins also spoke to Cycling Weekly about how the ‘Jiffy-bag’ scandal still affected him.
Two investigations – by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (Ukad) and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee – failed to prove what was in a medical package for Wiggins that was delivered to Team Sky’s then doctor at a race in 2011.
However, the report by MPs on the DCMS committee said Wiggins and Team Sky “crossed an ethical line” by using drugs allowed under anti-doping rules to enhance performance, instead of for medical reasons.
“I would love to know one way or another what actually happened,” Wiggins told Cycling Weekly.
“The amount of times I then got asked ‘what was in the package?’ But I had absolutely no idea.”
Sir Chris Hoy is appreciating life “more than ever” after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last year and says he has entered “a bit of a stability period” in his treatment.
The 49-year-old, a six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist, said in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
In October, he announced his diagnosis was terminal after the primary cancer spread to his bones, with doctors giving him between two and four years to live.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hoy issued a positive update on his health: “I’m doing well. It feels like I’ve entered a bit of a stability stage at the moment and I’m feeling good.
“Most importantly, cancer’s not the first thing I think about when I go to bed at night. I think we’ve got into a rhythm now where it’s part of our life and we manage that and crack on.
“I feel good. I’m on constant medication, constant treatment, but it’s not interfering too much with my life, and the most important thing is it’s working, so I’m stable at the moment, everything’s good. Making hay while the sun shines.”
The Scot won his six Olympic golds – and one silver medal – between 2000 and 2012, making him Britain’s second-most decorated Olympic athlete behind Sir Jason Kenny (seven golds).
He also claimed 11 World Championship golds and 34 World Cup titles before retiring in 2013.
“I can’t believe the position I’m in now compared to 18 months ago. I never imagined I’d be able to get to this point where I’m actually living life,” he continued.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial began at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in New York City on Monday as opening statements were read out to the jury
P Diddy trial – the biggest bombshells from peeing on Cassie to violent threats(Image: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial began in New York City on Monday with opening statements read out to the jury. The music mogul, who was supported by his children as they arrived in court on Monday, was arrested in September and is accused of an array of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has continued to deny all allegations against him, with his multiple bail pleas rejected. The 12 jurors were sworn in at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in lower Manhattan on Monday following a delay due to concerns that some of them might drop out over the weekend if the panel was finalised on Friday as originally planned.
Quincy Brown, Chance Combs, D’Lila Star Combs, Justin Combs, Diddy Combs children arrive on Monday(Image: Getty Images)
Combs’s defence team had requested the delay, but prosecutors had opposed the postponement. Prospective jurors were asked if they were familiar with several celebrities who may come up during the trial.
The proceedings quickly moved into opening statements, where both teams laid the groundwork for their arguments.
Here are the biggest bombshells from Monday’s opening statements…
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Diddy allegedly asked escort to pee in Cassie Ventura’s mouth
Federal prosecutors detailed the abuse singer Cassie Ventura allegedly endured(Image: Getty Images)
Federal prosecutors detailed the abuse singer Cassie Ventura allegedly endured during her relationship with Diddy. One encounter saw Diddy allegedly instruct a male escort to pee in her mouth.
While on the stand, a male escort claimed he was told to pee on Cassie, and claimed he began seeing Diddy and Cassie when he was asked by his boss to work a bachelorette party.
However, when he arrived, only the former couple were allegedly there and he said he met up with them on several occasions for sex services.
‘Hotel hush money after Cassie attack’
Diddy offered hush money to a hotel security officer, the court heard(Image: CNN)
Diddy offered hush money to a hotel security officer, the court heard. Israel Florez, who attended a hotel after the disgraced music mogul attacked his ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2016 told the court how he found the 55-year-old musician wearing nothing but a towel and sitting in a chair, ” slouched down, like with a blank stare … like a devilish stare, just looking at me,” he said.
Prosecutors showed the jury two mobile phone clips and three hotel surveillance videos related to the attack by Diddy on Cassie at the Los Angeles hotel.
Florez testified that he recorded the hotel’s video of the attack on his cellphone because he wanted to describe what he saw to his wife and was scared she wouldn’t believe him.
Jurors were shown video surveillance footage of an attack by Combs on Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016 that prosecutors have maintained is a key piece of evidence in their case against him.
The video depicts Cassie with a bag at the hotel’s elevators just before Combs rounds a corner, strikes her and throws her to the ground before kicking her and then dragging her back toward their hotel room.
Florez had responded to a call of a woman in distress on the sixth floor of the hotel and said the display there was ruined. He said he told Diddy it would be charged to the room as escorted the former couple to the room before Cassie allegedly suggested she wanted to leave.
“You’re not going to leave,” Combs allegedly said. Florez said to the court that he replied: “If she wants to leave, she’s going to leave.”
After Cassie left the vicinity, Florez claimed when he was getting ready to leave, the rapper called him back and held out a stack of money, with a $100 note on top, telling him: “Don’t tell nobody.”
Florez considered it as a bribe and claimed he told Diddy: “I don’t want your money, just go back into your room.”
Diddy ‘forced Cassie into depraved sex acts with escorts’
Diddy allegedly kept Cassie drugged “half of every week” (Image: FilmMagic)
Diddy allegedly kept Cassie drugged “half of every week” and forced her to perform sex acts on male escorts at “freak-off” parties he filmed.
Jurors were told he would use the tapes to blackmail Cassie, telling her “he could destroy her career” by releasing the videos.
Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson said his ex, singer and model Cassie, plus others, endured a cycle of abuse. She told the court: “Half of every week, Cassie was in a dark hotel room, high and awake for days performing sex acts she did not want to do on male escorts. These sexual performances lasted multiple days, and they involved multiple escorts.”
She went on to tell the court Diddy used lies, drugs, violence and threats to control his ex along with a woman referred to in court as “Jane”.
Ms Johnson said: “He told her he could destroy her career by releasing the videos of her performing sex acts on dozens of male escorts. They were souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life.”
Cassie was allegedly forced to participate in a ‘freak-off’ with an open wound on her face. When Diddy learned she was seeing another man, he allegedly “beat her, kicking her in the back and flinging her like a rag doll”.
Ms Johnson said: “You are going to hear about 20 years of crimes but he didn’t do it alone. An inner circle helped him commit crimes and cover them up.” She added Combs called himself “the king and expected to be treated like one”.
‘Violent threats to coerce women into Freak Offs’
Diddy’s court sketch during opening statements(Image: AP)
Prosecutors claimed Diddy coerced women into drugged-up group sexual encounters, which he called “freak offs,” “wild king nights” or “hotel nights,” then kept them in line by choking, hitting, kicking and dragging them, often by the hair.
Ms Johnson told the court Diddy once kidnapped an employee at gunpoint to help find his former girlfriend Cassie. When he did, he “beat her brutally, kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll.”
Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, is expected to testify.
Mr Johnson told jurors that Cassie was far from the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited.
Diddy’s team admits to domestic violence
Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos said the trial is a misguided overreach by prosecutors trying to turn consenting sex between adults into a prostitution and sex trafficking case.
“Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money,” Geragos told the jury.
“There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case over the past year. It is time to cancel that noise.”
Geragos added to the court that Diddy’s violent outbursts, often fuelled by alcohol, jealousy and drugs, might have warranted domestic violence charges, but not sex trafficking and racketeering counts.
She told jurors they might think Combs’ is a “jerk” and might not condone his “kinky sex.” Geragos added: “He’s not charged with being mean. He’s not charged with being a jerk.”
*For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk
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* If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Sky Sports star, Chris Kamara’s life was turned upside down in 2022 when he was diagnosed with apraxia of speech (AOS), which also affected his balance and co-ordination
Beloved football pundit, Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara has heartbreakingly admitted he’s ‘no longer the person he used to be’(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Beloved football pundit, Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara has heartbreakingly admitted he’s ‘no longer the person he used to be’ following his life-changing diagnosis. The Sky Sports star’s life was turned upside down in 2022 when he was diagnosed with apraxia of speech (AOS), which also affected his balance and co-ordination.
Chris, 67, flew to Mexico for treatment in a bid to reverse or slow down some of the effects of the neurological disorder, which include difficulty when speaking. However, despite initial success, the machine that transmitted radio frequency and magnetic fields into the body – similar to an MRI – became less effective, resulting in Chris stopping treatment.
READ MORE: Chris Kamara reveals heartbreaking reason why he apologised to his wife after diagnosis
Chris Kamara’s life was turned upside down in 2022 when he was diagnosed with apraxia of speech (AOS)
Telling The Sun his family told him to accept the fact that his life has changed, he said: “In so many ways, the diagnosis has changed my life, I am no longer the person I used to be, so I would be lying if I said it hasn’t changed me.”
Alongside apraxia, Chris also has thyroid problems. He says he’s also battling with dyspraxia which affects his co-ordination and balance.
Admitting this is “quite scary”, he revealed: “The brain tells me that I am going to fall, and unfortunately I often do.”
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The TV presenter, who has been on our screens for two decades, waited for 18 months before seeking help for his condition, which “makes talking difficult, with sufferers knowing what they’d like to say, but having trouble communicating their words,” according to the NHS.
Chris, who returned to TV punditry on Boxing Day, says he regrets waiting so long, admitting he wished he’d been diagnosed sooner.
Speaking to the Mirror for Mental Heath Awareness Week last week, the star said when he first realised his speech difficulties, he thought he may be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. “It was a really tough period” he recalled.
The former professional footballer spent 24 years presenting Soccer Saturday alongside Jeff Stelling but stepped back in 2022 after his diagnosis.
Despite ‘not being the person he was’, Chris is still in demand on TV, saying of his future career on screen: “I am being offered opportunities all the time, so I can’t rule it out.
“Unfortunately, speech is what is needed for presenting, and mine has become unreliable as far as speed goes.”
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Chris says he has seen “massive improvements” with the clarity of his speech, adding that he no longer struggles to find words, which he says was a big problem a couple of years ago.
Referring to his iconic delivery style in which he would fire off football stats and live match updates, he added: “My family constantly remind that I used to speak at 100 miles an hour anyway, which is quite unusual, so I should relax into speaking more slowly, which I now do.”
READ MORE: Beyoncé Cowboy Carter tour reviews call concerts ‘masterwork’ and ‘powerful’
Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway and Alex Greenwood have given England a significant pre-Euro 2025 boost by returning to the squad after injury for the upcoming Women’s Nations League matches.
Manager Sarina Wiegman has been without several key players during the Nations League campaign so far, so will welcome the return of the key trio for the games against Portugal on 30 May and Spain three days later.
Their inclusion in the squad – which is the final international camp before Wiegman finalises her Euro 2025 squad – suggests they are likely to travel to Switzerland for the tournament.
All three players have had knee surgery and have not featured for England this year.
Despite missing five months through injury, Hemp still finished the Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign with the most assists (eight).
Manchester City forward Hemp, 24, last played for England in the 2-1 friendly victory over South Africa in October.
However, she is yet to play 90 minutes this year and Wiegman admits that is a concern.
“Yes, of course it is. But we still have two months – almost. We want to keep building and see what she is able to do,” said the England manager.
“She has to perform at her highest level too but she has shown so many things before her injury that she has built some credit.”
City captain Greenwood, 31, has missed England’s last four matches but started November’s 0-0 draw with the United States and came on as a substitute in the 4-3 defeat against Germany in October before her injury.
Both players – who were part of the Euro 2022 squad – started City’s final two league games of the season having returned from injury in April.
Bayern Munich midfielder Stanway, 26, has not yet returned for her club but Wiegman is keen to give her more time on the training ground.
“She still needs to build. Georgia is in training. What we know is she can come into camp and continue building with us,” added Wiegman.
“Hopefully towards the Euros she can be healthy and can handle the training loads to recover from it.
“She has to be performing at the highest level – at her highest level – to compete for the position [in the Euros squad] just like everyone else.”
Chelsea forward Lauren James is still not selected as she recovers from the hamstring injury that forced her to miss the end of the WSL campaign.
England’s defence of their European title kicks off in seven weeks’ time with their opening match against France on 5 July.
Wiegman has previously expressed concern at the lack of game time for some of her returning stars, including Hemp, Stanway and Greenwood.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur’s Ella Morris has been called up from the Under-23s squad for the first time, alongside Aston Villa’s Missy Bo Kearns, who is recalled.
Striker Michelle Agyemang, who spent this season on loan at Brighton from Arsenal, retains her place in the squad after scoring a stunning goal 41 seconds into her debut in a 3-2 defeat by Belgium in April.
Getty Images
‘Special’ James being given ‘a chance’
With the tournament starting on 2 July, time is running out for players to return to fitness and for England to build rhythm with the squad they will use this summer.
James, 23, started England’s 5-0 win over Belgium in April but came off at half-time then withdrew from the squad with a hamstring injury.
Her club said in a statement on 18 April that James “will be out for a period of time” but there has been no update on whether she is likely to return for the Euros.
Asked whether she was concerned about her fitness, Wiegman said: “She’s where she should be at.
“She really wants to go to the Euros and hopefully we can get her fit and ready to go into it. We also know we need to find balance in the squad.
“She performed really well [before her injury]. I just want to give it a chance. She’s a special player who has moments in the game where she can be decisive.”
However, Wiegman hopes some of her players – including Hemp, Greenwood and Stanway – can pick up some competitive minutes during the Women’s World Sevens.
The inaugural seven-aside tournament will be played in Portugal from 21 to 23 May and has caused some controversy given its proximity to the start of Euro 2025.
Manchester City and Manchester United are among the eight teams taking part, with seven Lionesses from this squad potentially representing them.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps could also feature for Paris St-Germain while Stanway could return for Bayern.
“We have been in contact with the clubs and players so they can do what’s right for them to get ready for the international window and of course having the Euros in their minds,” said Wiegman.
“It’s up to them to communicate whether they will go or not. Everyone has a different schedule and comes from different places.
“If we talk about Lauren [Hemp] and Alex [Greenwood], it’s different to some players who have played all season.
“Some players see it as an opportunity in a different way, to get some training and playing minutes, but while being aware of not overloading.
Full England squad:
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Paris St-Germain), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride).
Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham FC), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Ella Morris (Tottenham), Leah Williamson (Arsenal).
Midfielders: Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa), Fran Kirby (Brighton), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Chelsea).
