KIM Kardashian spared no expense for presidential-style security during her Paris robbery testimony, The U.S. Sun has learned.
Kim, 44, has been in the French capital this week to testify about when she was robbed at gunpoint in her hotel in 2016.
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Kim turned heads as she arrived at court wearing dazzling $7 million worth of diamonds to discuss the incident, during which a $4 million diamond ring and other expensive jewelry were stolen by a local gang.
However, ensuring her safety in Paris has led to exorbitant costs, typically associated with heads of state or presidential figures visiting the city.
RING OF STEEL
A source from the French Department of Interior Security told The U.S. Sun that more than 120 police officers were added to the security detail, which eventually totaled 250 personnel.
This included security experts and special units deployed in the surrounding area to ensure maximum safety.
A staffer at the French Department of Justice claimed the taxpayer would foot the more than $1 million bill but emphasized that all measures were “110% necessary” given her status as a global superstar.
“I think the cost is insane,” he said, “but that is what was requested and required. Kim Kardashian is arguably a top-10 international celebrity who attracts a significant amount of attention.”
The special unit teams, according to the Department of Interior Security source, are typically only deployed on “very special” occasions and are limited in number.
Members of the secret service were also stationed nearby, along with an additional 20 personnel escorting Kim and her entourage to and from the Palais de Justice courthouse.
“There was as much attention on Kardashian as there has been on visiting presidents,” added the source. “With the involvement of a criminal gang in the trial, this wasn’t a minor event.”
TRAUMATIC TIME
Kim was visibly emotional as she relived her worst nightmare in Paris — nearly a decade after armed robbers tied her up, gagged her, and made off with an astonishing multi-million-dollar haul.
The star, now a mother of four, faced ten suspects accused of the terrifying 2016 hotel heist, during which masked thugs broke into her private suite and stole a collection of jewels — including her $4 million engagement ring from then-husband Kanye West.
Dressed to impress in a sharp black blazer, floor-length skirt, and dripping in diamonds, Kim made a dramatic entrance at the Palais de Justice, flanked by four burly security guards and her ever-glamorous mother, Kris Jenner, 69.
Fans and paparazzi swarmed the courthouse steps as Kim strode in, wearing a replica of the 18.88-carat sparkler that experts believe will never be recovered.
Inside, the SKIMS mogul spent over four hours giving chilling testimony — coming face-to-face with the alleged gang, two of whom have already confessed.
In harrowing detail, Kim described fearing the worst when the robbers posed as police officers and broke into her suite. “The robe opened, and I was completely exposed. I thought, ‘This is it — I’m going to be raped,’” she told the court.
“I said a prayer. I was convinced I was going to die.”
The high-profile trial had been delayed for years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a backlog of terror cases clogging the French courts.
However, Kim wasn’t going to miss her chance to speak out, with a detailed and gargantuan security plan ensuring everyone’s safety.
“What happened wasn’t a good image for France,” said the member of the French Department of Justice. “It was vital that the authorities showed their A-game when the Kardashians were in town.”
Lawyer Jerry Kroll, who represented bodyguard Pascal Duvier, feels the so-called Grandpa Robbers may not get a hefty sentence because of their age.
“The question is whether the French justice system will impose harsh sentences or take into account their age and the time they’ve already served,” Kroll told The U.S. Sun.
“Will they really give life sentences to men in their 80s?”
The trial is expected to conclude on May 23.
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