I really hope that in Day 2 of this Kim Kardashian saga, the comments will be less victim-blamey? Because it got crazy yesterday – even legit news outlets were blaming Kim for, like, having expensive jewelry or using social media. How about this? Pretend it was Taylor Swift who was robbed at gunpoint, bound and gagged and left in a bathroom. Then comment accordingly. Anyway, Kim Kardashian is now back in New York. She left Paris early Monday morning, shortly after giving her statement to French police. Kanye met her upon her arrival in New York, and everyone in the Kardashian family is getting beefed up security now.
There is some new information, and some clarification about what happened and more. Page Six had an interesting explainer on Hotel de Pourtalès, the “Paris hotel” where the robbery took place. I kept calling it a hotel because that’s what media outlets were calling it, even though it’s more of a high-end apartment rental for the rich and famous. The Hotel de Pourtales is the Kardashian-Wests’ Paris home, and it’s where they’ve lived/stayed for years when in Paris. Us Weekly also has a story about why Kim was without significant security at the Hotel de Pourtalès: because she felt safe there, because she considered it her home. A source told Us Weekly that Kim’s bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, was out with Kourtney at the time and:
“Pascal was with Kourtney and Kendall at L’Arc Nightclub. Kim felt safe at the apartment by herself,” the insider tells Us of where Duvier was during the robbery. “Kim is not blaming Pascal. She felt completely safe at the Paris apartment and doesn’t believe this is his fault in any way. There will be a massive security detail in place for the future,” the insider tells Us of Kimye’s plans moving forward, noting that “Pascal is staying.”
On CNN, they had coverage of the robbery and one of the journalists said that while Kim and Kanye might consider this place their Parisian family home, it still operates as a fancy hotel, with on-call concierge, staffers and in-house security. CNN seemed to indicate that this was a failure of the Hotel de Pourtalès security, not a failure of Kim’s personal security. Also: one of Kim’s former security guards told Page Six that he thinks there’s a good chance the armed robbers had help on the inside:
A security specialist who worked with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West this year said of her terrifying Paris incident, “This was a crime waiting to happen. Kim is lucky to be alive.” Steve Stanulis, who provided security for Kimye during New York Fashion Week in February for 10 days, and worked with them again around the Met Gala in May, told Page Six, “Kim’s social media and her Snapchat is her undoing. When she is posting, ‘Here I am, and this is the $5 million ring I am wearing, here’s where I am going,’ you are basically inviting someone to rob you.”
Stanulis said the celebrity couple does not take their security as seriously as they should.
“When I worked with them, Kanye would ask me to walk 10 feet behind him, which makes it so hard for anyone working their security to do anything if someone lunges at them. There was numerous times he’d try to ditch his security. He’d jump in a car and tell me to take a taxi.”
He said this should be a wake-up call for Kardashian, 35, who needs armed security guards: “They need to pay for an armed security guard. She almost got killed at gunpoint, because she didn’t want to pay for an extra armed and well-trained person. It takes one minute of dialogue to figure out if someone really is a cop, they should not have got in the building. Sadly, the only person to blame for this incident is Kim Kardashian. She has tens of millions of dollars of jewelry, but she can’t pay for an armed guard to protect her? The fact that five days ago that someone broke through her security chain and tried to grab her, then this happened, shows her security is not strong enough, and this should be a wake-up call.”
Stanulis added that there were still many unanswered questions about the robbery, including suspicions it was an inside job. He said, “I would say it’s either an inside job or publicity stunt. That hotel is so secure, somebody must have tipped them off that she was alone inside, or shown them a way in.”
Ugh, this guy. Stanulis is the same guy that Kanye West fired back in May of this year because – according to Stanulis – Kanye didn’t like how friendly he was with Kim. And again, I’m not discounting the idea that this was possibly an inside job, but I also think it’s wrong to say that this hotel/apartment building is super-secure. It’s obviously NOT. Stanulis also argues that Kim needs to make an investment in full-time armed security guards… which is something the NRA wants too. The NRA trolled Kim on Twitter for being a victim of an armed robbery, I guess because if she had been armed or had armed security with her, the robbery wouldn’t have happened? Either that or there would have been a bloody shootout in a posh Paris apartment.
Note: there’s a crazy amount of news and reporting about this, so this will be one of several Kardashian stories today. I’m sorry, but it is legitimately huge news!
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
“When I worked with them, Kanye would ask me to walk 10 feet behind him, which makes it so hard for anyone working their security to do anything if someone lunges at them. There was numerous times he’d try to ditch his security. He’d jump in a car and tell me to take a taxi.”
Ugh, Kanye.
Why would she even consider firing her bodyguard, it was 3am, is he supposed to sleep on the sofa or outside her door. Q: why did she open the door? I don’t wish harm to anyone but social media is used to rob people all the time. Facebook friends post when they’re leaving for vacation, pics of the house in detail,iI always say why are you giving robbers an in? So Kim posting pics of her diamonds,gushing about the size n price gives them an easier opportunity. Her vanity is not the cause but it did not help. There’s no reason to show your riches as unless you’re showing off. Now they’ll milk it for aaaaaall its worth.
More likely they broke in. They had lumbered up the stairs, why would they wait for someone to answer the door?
There is one person to blame for this and it is kim….wait, you mean more than the robbers?! Smh.
Exactly. If indeed this was the work of the Pink Panthers, I’m not sure any amount of personal security Kim could get would have prevented it. Those guys are hardcore and meticulous criminals responsible for some of the biggest thefts. The level of planning that goes into their operations is not to be underestimated. Watch the Vice documentary on them.
Oh, what season is it from? Will watch after work.
Apparently they’re also not guys that kill… so it’s lucky it was them and not another… more ruthless group.
@Nicole – I don’t think it’s part of the HBO show but part of their prior online content. It’s called Europe’s Most Notorious Jewel Thieves–you can find it online.
@ Down and Out
Thank you! Have you seen Documentary Now?
Why blame the robbers when you can blame the victim? Typical sexist bulls$it.
It was douchy but it does not mean it was sec it’s just because Kim is a woman. He critizised Kanye too.
I agree with Chinoserie that he wasn’t slamming their security bc Kim is a woman and I don’t feel what he is saying was sexist – tho it sounds like he has some sour grapes in bringing up her unwillingness to pay for extra security, which is a different matter. Everything else he said is pretty spot on though. When you’ve had a crime committed against you, your perception of the world changes and you see where your vulnerabilities are. A good security or crime prevention crew sees this too bc they are trained to – and it’s why they come off as zealous or overdoing it. Finding balance between enjoying a free life and protecting yourself is the eternal conflict that plays itself even into our national politics.
I would be inclined to agree with this guy about being wary of posting your whereabouts, possessions and stuff about your life on social media– this is how Paris Hilton’s home was robbed several years ago after she posted that she’d be out of town and it was known there was a key under her doormat.
As for the NRA, I am no big fan, but as a woman who is alone at home for long stretches of time in a neighborhood that is considerable distance from my nearest neighbor’s house – I feel no compunction about wanting a dog, an alarm system and shotgun. I tend not to post on social media when I am or my husband is away from home. I just feel it is better to be safe than sorry. Kim was only robbed – which is terrible, but it could have been worse: she could have been kidnapped, raped, maimed or murdered. When it comes to security, I am one of those in the camp of preferring to err on the side of overprotection than under, but that is an individual’s choice. We have no crystal balls in this world, and one’s security you can never take for granted. No one ever plans to have a crime committed upon them, an emergency occur or an accident – the best you can do is to be as prepared as possible when fate deals you that card. :-/
Wait! whaaaa?
I’m curious why she staid there alone while the test of the family is at a hotel? Why not stay together
Exactly right. Ugh…..I do agree that her activities on social media make her a target – and a fairly easy one to track. But, she is not to blame for someone robbing her. She’s lucky that’s all they did.
He’s a jerk about it, but I agree with his assessment that if you’re famous and walking around with millions of dollars worth of jewlery, flaunting your wealth like that, you need security at ALL times. And frankly? If I were her I *would* have an armed guard.
my understanding though is that in france, they can’t have armed guards.
Is there anything to indicate this really was a publicity stunt, as he notes? The whole point of KK’s life is publicity. It is an odd story, but I admit I have not been following it closely. Kim was alone, the robbers did not hurt her, they made sure she was able to free herself, the jewelry is insured, and KK is now Topic A everywhere, so basically nothing changed but she successfully hijacked Paris Fashion Week, the Presidential debate, the war in Syria, and Hurricane Matthew with no shots fired. Did the apartment not have any security cameras? Did they even consult a security firm? Will they change their ways now? The part about pleading for her children’s lives is either made up (KK will lie about anything) or it is the most traumatizing experience I can imagine for a mother alone. if it’s true, she will be shaken to the core for a long time.
Belle Epoch I agree with the begging of her kids. Recall the SUV almost going off the road when a snow truck cleared snow onto them,Khloe driving, Kim in back with baby North in her car seat. Kim’s reaction was priceless, her fear never showed for her child, it showed her get out without the baby,call Kanye and tell him how scared she was to die. Nothing about the baby.
Yes, the reference to her kids didn’t seem like Kimmie. But that doesn’t mean the situation wasn’t real. Kim does lie to make herself look better, but the major details are most likely correct.
I don’t know, I think if you were genuinely scared that someone was going to rape and/or kill you, you would say whatever to save yourself. I could see her pleading that she’s a mother and to think of her kids, even if she’s that selfish in real life that she comes first.
I would never be comfortable with the armed guards. The idea that someone could get killed by people protecting me is too unsettling.
That’s a real problem with the armed approach to self defense. Too likely to kill or injure an innocent person or pet. A friend lives in an isolated area and had trained to use a gun, but wasn’t sure if she could use it when the time came. I suggested looking into nonlethal approaches that she might be more likely to use.
I feel like a sitting duck myself, but I have to worry about the cats in thinking about anything I might use, what would be the effect on them.
I am surprised that her insurance didn’t have some kind of requirements for travel to secure such high priced items.
I do think it is odd that she didn’t have security on staff at that time. I wonder if it was an inside job as well. The thieves seemed to know they wouldn’t be met with armed guards.
I don’t know that it needed to be an inside job. Kim does everything so publicly, all you had to do was watch her Snapchat/Instagram and her previous Paris trips, and observe her all week. This was her home, it was no real mystery where she was staying, all they had to do was watch to see how heavily staffed the security/concierge was during the nighttime.
Not having extensive security measures protecting jewelry of that value is not typical. That makes me think that someone had to have known that there was limited security. Not “inside job” as in someone in her entourage, but perhaps someone from the apartment, etc.
Who would want to live like this? On purpose? That’s what perplexes me most.
Yeah, I mean it’s a different issue for a different time, but ITA. Their fish bowl life of manufactured drama would give me intense anxiety, not even factoring in the horror in Paris.
A friend sleeping in a downstairs bedroom heard the commotion upstairs. She supposedly locked herself in the lower level bathroom and called Kim’s bodyguard who she knew was nearby at a club guarding Kendall. That seems like an odd person to call before calling the Paris equivalent of 911.
Exactly like he can get there quicker than sirens motorbike police officers? Maybe she didn’t know the equivalent but I thought all mobile devices have the emergency number well not the number but you press emergency and it dials wherever your gps is.
Idk, but note to self — find out how to call local emergency services when traveling abroad before there’s an emergency. I’ve never thought to do that before but I will now.
112 works in all EU countries alongside national numbers
Maybe the friend wasn’t french, and when you are scared it’s very difficult to express yourself even in your own language, so imagine to explain everything in a foreign one.
That’s a good point. The friend, according to TMZ was Kim’s American stylist.
I think the operators at whatever the french equivalent of 911 is would understand some english, I’m pretty sure they would at least understand the word ‘help’ .
That’s what I was thinking too. In her panic she called someone she knew and trusted. We can second guess all we want but even if you know all the right things to do, sometimes in a high stress situation like this everything flies out of your head.
That’s why all those gun nuts who think they’ll be rambo or some other movie hero in shooting incident make me SMH. And as we all know even people trained to handle weapons, like the police, make grievous mistakes.
I read that she dialed Kourtney and thats how she got the bodyguard. In that moment of panic, I doubt she knew how to reach the French police or was confident she would reach an English speaking dispatcher fast enough. I feel for her, knowing that your friend is in grave danger but being powerless to help other than hide and ring somebody.
Kim also tried to call the bodyguard. And on receiving the friend’s phone call, the bodyguard and the sister went directly to the building without calling the police.
Always call the police and if you can’t communicate the problem, just scream or leave the phone on so they can hear what is going on. They can trace a phone.
Actually, that’s not true-at least in America. Many 911 dispatchers do not have the equipment necessary to pinpoint locations the way Facebook does, for example. There is an entire John Oliver episode dedicated to this-people die because we won’t upgrade our damn E911 systems.
I’m sure that in an international city like Paris, the emergency line has people who also speak English.
They drill it into your head when you take an industrial or St. John’s first aid course. Always, always, always, call for help first. Before you take a step or grab a blanket. First before you get the first aid kit, first before you enter the scene of the accident.
In case you ever have an emergency in Europe, France emergency number is 112 like in all EU and some other European and even non-European countries. I have heard that 911 also dials to emergency because tourist need and the US tv influence but I am not sure if that is true.
Thank you, Chinoiserie
They were woken around 3am. For all either knew the guard had returned by then and was very close by.
Also, I’d assume neither knew the emergency number they needed, and they were in a panic. Better to call the number for someone they know can help than mess around trying to figure out how to contact the police (it seems simple when you’re sitting at home in no danger, but in a high stress situation many people can’t think and would take a while to figure out what to do).
She must not have known what the emergency number to call was.
Makes sense to me simply because of the language problem. She knew how to communicate with the bodyguard and he would know who to call. At home, she would have undoubtedly called 911 first.
I very much doubt emergency services in PARIS expect you to speak french only.
Well, do you think emergency services in NY or LA expect you to speak english? It takes time to get someone that speaks a second language.
The girl probably panicked and called the first person she could think of.
nothing much one bodyguard can do against five armed guys who know what they are doing. him being there could have made the situation a lot more tense.
i side eye him though for his social media. a bodyguard is supposed to blend in the background not talk about himself and his job all day on social media.
If this had happened to Taylor Swift the comments would be just as vicious. Maybe if it had happened to Julianne Moore or Lupita Nyong’o, for example, the comments would be more sympathetic.
Yeah, there’s only one person seen as more manipulative, it’s Tay Tay. To us though, not the general public prob.
I wonder if the authors get sick of pointing out how much unnecessary hate is thrown her way, sometimes it feels motivated by bad things. As if she’s a stand-in for the things people hate about celebrity, curvy sexual women, whatever she represents to them.
There’s a weird flavour that Kim’s jewelry is too much for her, and she’s not classy enough to deserve it, and other strange subtext in other reporting.
“There’s a weird flavour that Kim’s jewelry is too much for her, and she’s not classy enough to deserve it, and other strange subtext in other reporting.”
All the points to you!
Interesting points.
All of this.
It really feels like she’s being othered, and Kanye too. I don’t want to say racism, but it feels that way. Not in the overt she’s less because shes not white, but micro, in the sense that she’s seen as less classy, Kanye is seen as less classy.
Their endeavours aren’t met with the same criticism as the usual nouveau riche. I think its layered with what ‘class’ is, how many people have internalized classy as meaning tall thin blonde white women in demure pantsuits, men who aren’t loud, who wear linen and play piano.
I reread “I, Too” by Langston Hughes this morning, because Solange’s album references it. Incredibly powerful, and maybe because it is so fresh it is biasing me, but it feels like Kanye and Kim, they aren’t allowed at the table yet.
@detritus
I have to disagree. Kim is not being othered because of those things you suggested. If she’s being othered it’s because of the persona that she puts out there. If this was Paris Hilton she would have been treated the same way as Kim.
@V4Real
Of course, I’m trying this thought out for size and a little devil’s advocating is good for that.
The Paris comparison, that’s kind of my point though, Kim’s counterpart isn’t Paris, it’s Nicole.
She’s married with children and a business, not deejaying, partying and hooking up with hot rich guys.
But Nicole is not a good comparison. Yes they are both married women with children but Nicole is not living her life as publicly as she used to. Kim is all over social media, got her start from a sex tape, uses her body as her business, no real talent. She has a husband that says outlandish things about himself and her. Kim and Kanye lives a very flashy in your face lifestyle. That’s why she might be as you call othered. Kim and Kanye don’t just want to be allowed to have a seat at the table, they want to be the head of the table.
So you think the only reason she gets this flack is because she lives her life outloud? Because she commodifies it?
I’m on the fence about that, because of the layers of classism involved. That you have to live your life a certain way to be respected and allowed to own nice things? You have to behave a certain way to deserve keeping them? It doesn’t sit right with me.
I definitely see your point about ego, and the conspicuous consumption though. Those things are rarely valued.
This 100%
The hate for Kim is so extreme and it really makes no sense. There is nothing she’s done that most other celebs don’t do yet she gets more hateful comments then anyone. When things happen to her you either don’t believe her, shrug it off, or blame her which says more about you than it does her.
How can you hate people so much that you don’t even know, who have done nothing to you personally. If you dislike her so much avoid her, I don’t care for certain celebs so I just don’t click on stories about them. As the other poster said it’s like Kim has become a symbol for all of these different things you hate and these comments are less about Kim and more about your own S@$t
This 100%
The hate for Kim is so extreme and it really makes no sense, there is something more to it. For Kanye I pretty sure it’s race, you can particularly see it when the story is about Taylor/Kanye there is this need to turn him into the scary black man. With Kim I agree class comes to play but it’s also the way we view women and celebrity in general. Women can dress a certain way as long as they justify it with feminism or show they have a brain as well as a body and Kim doesn’t do that she gets you think she’s dumb and she doesn’t really care. Same with money we want celebs to pretend to be just like us. We don’t care if they are lounging around in a $1000 t shirt as long as they don’t flaunt it, but Kim will she will tell you where her shirt is from.
I also think it’s because as much as people want her and her family to fail they keep thriving and I think all of that comes together to create the level of animosity we see.
I don’t think it’s Kim being ‘othered’ so much as Kim uses these items – jewelry, furs, fashion – as a way of trying to prove something about herself, and her worth as a person. Like the more fancy stuff she has, she’s worth more as a person than the rest of us. When someone derives all of the worth from material things, I guess folks aren’t as sympathetic, especially since her audience is straight at young ladies. Kim (and all of her stuff) is a symbol of what’s going wrong in our society. I don’t personally think that means she deserves to be robbed, but I do think that she’s extremely lucky that she only lost objects in this robbery and that it could have been far worse.
The Kanye stuff, on the other hand, is a whole other bag of worms.
Agree– Kim and Taylor are cut from the same cloth on playing for attention – it would be more believable if someone who did not have the reputation as a stunt queen or king reported it. If anything, it’s a reflection of us as a society and not a bad one, I think. I defend our skepticism bc I think it is a healthy trait in good doses, exactly why should we believe everything at face value – especially coming from people who are masters at creating public image? Character counts for something, doesn’t it? I hope Kim is ok and she is now safe, I hope she’s learned better tools to protect herself in the future…but as for how the world received the news, those who held back believing full force and waited for more info to come in: critical thinking of the masses still made a stand there, and that is not a bad thing IMHO.
@Annaloo
“but as for how the world received the news, those who held back believing full force and waited for more info to come in: critical thinking of the masses still made a stand there, and that is not a bad thing IMHO.”
It’s not the skepticism that’s bad, it’s the blatant dismissal of it being true and delighting in deriding her and blaming her for this event, if it is in fact true. It’s not even “I have a hard time believing this bc of who she is, but…”. It’s all “whatever, she’s probably lying and is full if shit. Even if not, she’s probably exaggerating most of this…”
Anyone else would have fire the guard, especially if he was out partying.
He was protecting Kourtney & Kendall at a club, not partying.
He was guarding her sisters, undoubtedly at her request. Why on Earth would he be fired?
She does need more security but to blame her for being robbed at gunpoint is ridiculous. And I found the lack of empathy yesterday troubling. Kim is a human being first & foremost. She’s also a mother to a 3 year old & 9 month old. If you can’t have any compassion for her personally, try to show some for a mother. Victims of trauma come from many backgrounds, some are going to be people you don’t like. It doesn’t mean you can’t offer some compassion for what she might be going through right now. Regardless of how she might she spin this later on her reality TV show she doesn’t deserve the level of hate or mockery I’ve seen. Has she abused anyone? Killed anyone? She lies? She exaggerates stuff for her show? That’s her crime against humanity? Don’t watch her show & ignore articles written about her if she bothers you that much. People are FLAWED! No one is perfect, except for the people who post on this site apparently. And you all wonder how we got to the point that Donald Trump could be our next President? Seriously?
‘If you can’t have any compassion for her personally, try to show some for a mother.’
That is a troublesome statement. Being a mother does not increase someone’s value as a human.
It bothers me a little that people say “She’s a mother, daughter and wife” so if she didn’t have a child , a mother or a husband, her life would be worth less and we wouldn’t need to show compassion?
No…not what I wrote. I wrote she was a human being, first & foremost. But most yesterday couldn’t show compassion or empathy for her because she’s Kim Kardashian. I then wrote if you can’t show compassion for her personally, show it because she’s a mom. Meaning if you can’t show Kim Kardashian compassion, try breaking it down a little bit farther & show a mom compassion. Why are we reading more into what I wrote? I never once implied a mother is deserving of more compassion. Not once.
+1 MinnFinn
Why break it down to “mom”? She is also a sister, a daughter, a wife, a friend, an aunt … going straight to mom seems to imply it is superior to everything else she is.
-1 MinnFinn, that is strawman argument, the poster was trying to get people to see Kim from a different perspective.
It does not bother me that you pointed out she is a mom – and I agree, being a parent does not ‘increase your value’ as a human being – but I completely understand what Katniss means. –
I have trouble with this argument, too. She is a human being who doesn’t deserve to be brutalized and stolen from. Why are we suddenly throwing out the “she is a mother of two small children” line to humanize her. I don’t think it is a strawman at all to point out the logical fallacy in this. I think it would just be detrimental to your argument anyway since most people would just counter it with the fact those children are mainly raised by nannies and she dresses up poor North in ridiculous outfits and parades her around for pap strolls.
It’s because of all of those things, a young child losing their mother is a horrible proposition. It doesn’t mean that her life has more meaning, because of her children, just that those young children would feel the loss of their mother the most.
Whatever you think of Kim, to those children, she is their whole world.
@ KatnissforKaepernick
Would you feel the same way if this had happen to Charlie Sheen? Be honest with your answer and not some faux political correct answer to prove you have sympathy for every human being on this earth.
@V4Real- I would be sympathetic to Charlie Sheen if he was robbed at gunpoint. That’s a trauma I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Have you ever been assaulted, raped or a victim of a violent crime? I was raped. It’s not something I’d wish on anyone & I’m sorry but we need to stop this idea that victims must be perfect before we will accept that they are victims. Kim is annoying, she’s a famewhore, she exaggerates stuff for her show…I get it. I am not fond of her or a fan but she is a human being.
@KatnissforKaepernick
I’ve had a gun pointed in my face and I’ve been shot at.
@V4Real. .I’m sorry that happened to you. It sucks. As I have empathy for you, I have empathy for Kim. I have empathy for the trauma she experienced & only used the mother reference with the hope it would spark something.
I am having a great deal of difficulty understanding how her being a mother makes any difference in all of this. The kids were not the ones under threat. Yet her motherhood status is being continually harped on like it makes her somehow extra special. Sorry, but I find it extremely insulting that she is somehow more valuable than I am because I cannot have kids. She is no more special than any other human being.
And yes, I do have compassion for anyone put in this situation but NOT because they gave birth to anyone or anything.
Again, didn’t write that motherhood made Kim extra special or that she was any more special. I was specifically referring to the lack of compassion from posters on yesterday’s article. I find it troubling that people have difficulty having compassion for the trauma Kim went through but I was just trying to break it down further & maybe it would help to picture her kids to show some compassion here.
Sorry but picturing her kids doesn’t make me have more compassion for HER. If she had been hurt or worse, than I would have compassion for THEM. And you aren’t the only one bringing up the “mother of two” subject to bring compassion to HER. The kids weren’t there and they still have their mother. Although she went through a traumatic ordeal, I’m not denying that, but it would be no less traumatic for a woman with no kids.
Again, I never wrote or even implied that it would be less traumatic for a woman with no kids to be robbed. I originally wrote she was a human being, first & foremost. However, because many people commenting on this site lack empathy for Kim for whatever reason, I tried to bring another perspective with hope that maybe she’d be shown a little more empathy for being robbed at gunpoint. I was specifically trying to bring another perspective for Kim Kardashian…that’s it.
It’s a Buddhist exercise to help cultivate empathy and compassion. You believe that at some point in reincarnation every soul around you was, at some point, your mother, your child, your sibling.
I know that’s not what is meant here, but has no inherent change in her value, it’s just meant to paint her in a different light.
She is not just a fame monger who you read about on your phone or tablet for S and Gs- For two kids she is a MOTHER, to some people she is a SIBLING, she is a DAUGHTER. And it may not be the way you do your family, but perhaps that ‘framing’ will help you understand that today she deserves our compassion for getting robbed at gunpoint- because she is a human.
I think it’s because a mother is presumed to have the protective instinct to guard their offspring, in which case she would have been under greater stress than if she were solo with no children.
If so, her status as a mother ceases to be about her worth as a human and becomes more about her perspective and increased concerns in that situation.
BUT – her kids weren’t there and this is Kimmy K so whatever.
What does Donald Trump have to do with this? That doesn’t make sense.
Being a mom does not increase her value as a human, nor the value of her life.
But since I became a mom, I do worry about what would happen to my young kids if something was to happen to me. I worry more about them going through the trauma of growing up without a mother than I worry about losing or keeping my own life, if that makes sense. So, yes, if I was in a life-threatening situation, I do think that — for me at least — would add an extra element of trauma.
@Fingerbinger- the lack of compassion specifically for a fellow human being.
Girl @KatnissorKaepernik, I feel for you. Too many are harping on the “she’s a mother” thing that was clearly pointed out only to present her in another light in order to gain compassion. It could have easily been sister, friend, daughter….etc. People are deliberately being obtuse if they;re refusing to see that even when you’ve so clearly explained otherwise in rebuttals you’ve since followed up with. SMH.
Lets see she was robbed in Paris where it is against the law for citizens to own guns. So everyone except the citizens own guns. Right? Wrong. The bad guys kept their guns while the citizens willingly gave up theirs. If Hillary has her way Kim will not be able to hire a civilian bodyguard with a gun. Better find a bodyguard who is good at martial arts.
“So everyone except the citizens own guns. Right? Wrong. The bad guys kept their guns while the citizens willingly gave up theirs.”
1- Less bad guy have guns.
2- Less perturbed teens go on a killing spree with their citizen father’s gun.
3- Less, under influence or not, citizen end up killing themselves or their neighbour accidentally.
Should I continue ?
Hardy, Hillary hasn’t proposed anything like that at all! If you have to lie and exaggerate to such an extent to paint your opposition as the worse choice, it means you do not have facts to stand on. It is not Hillary’s or the Democrats’ position to take away all guns. That is such hyperbolic propaganda.
Kim certainly has abused people and she is a pathological liar. She is not harmless. But the lying is why there were doubts, not anything else about her. It is unrealistic to expect people to instantly believe someone who lies as often as Kim and who has faked drama in the past either for publicity or to deliberately hurt others. I think this event really happened and it was traumatizing for her, but I could be wrong. There are few people I would feel that way about, but Kim is one of them. It’s not victim-blaming to realistically try to assess the truthfulness of a report by a chronic liar.
@Jwoolman- I haven’t watched her show in years, so I might have missed her faking drama to deliberately hurt others & abusing people. I watched during the early years, when her sex tape was coming out & when she was dating Reggie Bush. She faked the storyline about the sex tape but some stuff she talked about didn’t appear to be manufactured at all. Like the abuse she suffered during her marriage to Damon Thomas. Even if she’s Cruelly Deville, I will give her the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. I’m not going to post stuff like I’m side eyeing her or she deserves this or she doesn’t deserve compassion because she’s a famewhore or a liar.
Katniss, people understand what you meant but are trying to get YOU to reflect on why you chose THOSE words, why *anyone* chooses those particular words/images to gain compassion for women…. it really is ridiculous that we keep going back to the ‘mother’ archetype to give women value. We know what you mean Katniss, but why be part of the problem? We had a woman missing in my state a few years ago, and every mention of her in media was “The mother of two was last seen….” “The mom and wife last contacted her family on…” She was missing for two weeks, with absolutely zero mention in the media about her likes, interests, or personality outside of being a “mom of two young boys”. I deduced that she liked wine (we live around a wine valley) based on a picture of her holding a wine glass, wearing a purple scarf, with a wine pillow on her sofa. The tragic end was that she had hung herself out in the wilderness, on a remote section of someone’s private property. So yeah, let’s have empathy for real victims, but can we start by humanizing these women *beyond* their mom-ly status, first?
I know exactly why I chose those words. I’ve explained a few times why I chose those words & even led off with.. Kim is a human being first & foremost. I was trying to get people to see Kim from a different perspective. It was an effort to look at Kim in a different light since most people don’t value her to begin with. And you proved my point with your “let’s have empathy for real victims.” She is a REAL victim & deserving of empathy because she was robbed at gunpoint.
I almost like those boots and that coat.
Kim’s face is looking odd, face 3.0 or just her weight loss?
The news though, I feel horrible for her. We had our place broken in to, while we were sleeping, and it Makes you feel incredibly violated. I can’t even imagine being tied up. Has she released any social media posts since? Or Kanye, or the sisters?
Even if she had zero security, it wouldn’t have been her fault. It’s the fault of the people who assaulted her and stole her possessions. Stantulis is just pushing business. He’s a security guy, of course he wants everyone to beef up their security and hire him.
Somebody on another site said she had a weekend (mini) facelift. It looks to me like she’s not doing fillers or not as much also.
She’s starting to resemble Cher.
It may have been the strange angle of the one photo too.
The other ones look less intense.
She has a totally new face from last year, right?
Her face looks so odd right now. She looks like a totally different person. Non-human.
She could have been killed but yes! let’s talk about her face! SMH.
She should fire him, he knew that this apartment/hotel had no cameras, no security, no alarms just a concierge at a desk and that she had $10 millon worth of jewelry that was not in a safe, plus she was recently assaulted in the street….but he still thought that it would be just fine to leave her all alone. Is he prior military or law enforcement or just a big guy who decided to become a bodyguard with no real experience?
Supposedly he has a military background. But I also agree that he should be replaced or demoted. I would have thought that part of his job would be planning ahead and it does not seem like hitting the club with Kendall and the forgotten kardashian is good planning when Kim has a bunch of expensive jewelry on her person. Were they just being too cheap to hire more people or did Pascal really thing one bodyguard for 3 people was sufficient?
If Kim told him to go guard her sisters you’re saying he should be fired for following her orders?
If your supervisor send you on an errand and he misses an important phone call because you were not there to answer the phone should he fire you because he told you to go run an errand for him?
This isn’t how these things work. He probably wouldn’t be in charge of the planning.
Usually security is hired from a SECURITY COMPANY that schedules the bodyguards in various shifts. They make plans based on the needs of the client. If they are doing something like traveling internationally with $10M in jewelry, then typically extra precautions are made.
@Tiffany From what I’ve read, he is the owner of the security company
Hmm. Sounds a bit odd to have the owner in the field (unless he is a contractor who is paid under a corporate name). If he is indeed the owner of the security company, then he should be fired. It sounds like too small of a company for such a large responsibility.
@Tiffany I agree, it does sound odd to have the owner in the field, but he seems to enjoy the fame that come with being Kim’s bodyguard so maybe that has something to do with it?
Should he be fired, though? According to several reports, he was not out partying, but acting on her instructions to shadow her sisters at that club. Apparently, she felt very safe at this boutique hotel, having stayed there before, and considered it her “home in Paris”, which is probably why she gave him up for her sisters. Also, on an Australian news report this morning, one of the French police officers was interviewed. He stated that they do have CCTV footage, but it was unlikely to be of much help, given that the robbers were masked. He added that (I paraphrase) that because of this, it is going to be extremely difficult to ever apprehend these people.
I think he should be fired, but I do believe that he was working and not out partying. It doesn’t really matter if she feels safe at the hotel, if the hotel is not actually safe, feelings are not fact. As her bodyguard he should have adviced her to stay at a location that has better security, maybe he did but she didn’t listen, I don’t know.
One thing I have wondered about is the jewelry. Why is she traveling with so much expensive jewelry?
I like to visit an online store called Mystique Gems. They are in West Palm Beach and have CZ’s set in real gold and platinum. Many, many wealthy women go to them and have their jewelry replicated so they can keep the real stuff in vaults and carry the fakes when they travel. As one woman put it, she can wear her replicas and if they get stolen, she’s only “lost a few thousand dollars and not half a million.”
Obviously it’s Kim’s money and her jewelry, but I think these women are onto something. Even if Kim didn’t have replicas made, it wouldn’t hurt to put it out there so thieves might think twice as to whether or not what she’s got on her is the real deal or one of the replicas.
I always wonder this. I thought all rich ladies travel with the fakes.
@ray the fact of the matter is that we as a society (while it is part of the problem) the majority o people still have more compassion for women when they have
Yes, but she’s in Paris for fashion week. A part of her brand is publicity/. At an event like such, you’re going to wear the real thing. This is not her jetting on a plane for her own personal vacation. Despite what we may feel about her profession, she has one. And going to PFW is a part of her job as a public figure. The expectation is to work the fashion. What was faulty is the lack of security measures in place for a person traveling with all these expensive items.
Why mention Taylor Swift?
She buys properties not jewels to show off on social media.
Kim like a shallow rich person posted all her expensive jewels online.
People saw that and targeted her. Hopefully she will learn to post less and get better security.
Taylor Swift also has a pretty extensive security detail, they have rooms in every home she owns & she rents out floors of hotels when she’s touring. I doubt anyone could past her security.
I thought the mention of Swift was weird too. Didn’t she just get voted one of the most hated celebrities?
The comments if it were Swift would be pretty brutal and I’m not sure I would see as much defending of her as there is of Kim. I’ve seen think pieces on other sites about the negative reaction to this story. I don’t hate either, I’m just super skeptical of celebrities who are know to manipulate their own PR (so basically most celebrities).
If what happened to Kim happened to Taylor there would be actual rejoicing (karma!) as well as victim blaming. This whole story makes me sad. Yes, Kim is all about the attention, but what happened to her? No one needs or wants that kind.
I think it’s wrong for that other guy to say she is the only one to blame, clearly the robbers are at fault here. But I do agree with his assessment that she should not be broadcasting her whereabouts and jewelry online all the time.
While I agree with that from a safety standpoint, it’s like… that’s kind of her profession. Silly as it may be (and arguably undeserving of the level of fame/wealth/attention), posting to social media and flaunting her lifestyle is a big part of why she’s so popular in the first place. I feel really bad for her- she’s built this career on “nothing” when exactly that nothing exposes her to this kind of crime. And whatever comes out of the criminals stealing her phones- you KNOW she’s going to get raked over the coals for that as well.
Yes and since that’s her “job” she needs to have the security to match.
And by the way Kaiser, you can bet your a** that if this had happened to Taylor Swift I would have questioned her & and her security details judgement just as I question Kim’s. When you parade around with jewelry worth that much and don’t hide where you live you need top security 24/7. And preferably keep the jewelry somewhere else. The world isn’t pretty and we need to adapt to it. There is no way I believe that the superrich keep every valuable item they own at home.
@maria that is what I have been trying to say. People on this site is trying to use be more cautious as victim blaming. People on this site were not saying that they were glad it happen to Kim. Some just said she should stop flashing her wealth and whereabouts all over social media. Some had doubts if this was a publicity stunt or an inside job knowing Kim’s tendency to cry wolf. Why would she keep that kind of jewelry unsecured and just laying about in her rented apartment. How did the thieves know she would be alone. Were they outside watching and saw the security guy leave with her sisters. Perhaps they were casing the place beforehand knowing that’s where Kim would be staying. This seems very rehearsed to me.
Her former security guy is right, this incident should be a wakeup call. She actively courts the public for attention, well attention also makes you a prisoner to security concerns. Thats the trade off and not just for her but for everybody in her circle and especially the kids. She is lucky nobody has attempted to kidnap them for ransome.
Another mystery to me is there would be no black market buyer interested in Kim’s big diamond ring even after removing it from its setting because undoubtedly it has a laser inscripted ID code. So why steal it?
You can always cut it up.
I was just told that even cutting it up the laser unscripted in it still will show.
I’m thinking there may be a rich criminal type person out there who might want the ring specifically because it was hers, and happily wear it, in their circle of folks who won’t tell – the ‘honor among thieves’ thing, possibly?
That thing is getting cut.
The victim should not be blamed for the robbery. Flashing your jewels on social media does not justify the crime. She was not robbed on the streets at 3:00 am, she was robbed in her hotel room for crying out loud! Putting the blame on Kim is like blaming a rape victim for wearing provocative clothes. The robbers are the bad guys not Kim
No one is blaming her. Saying that someone shouldn’t post there every whereabouts and flaunt their millions in jewels all over social media is not blaming but just saying that you should be more cautious.
If Kim was a man would you use that scenario as a reference? Or would you say well Floyd Mayweather was flashing his millions in cash and whereabouts all over social media and thieves saw their opportunity to steal. By the way Floyd is known for doing that and people called him stupid for doing so.
Well the guy in the interview clearly said “the only person to blame for this incident is Kim Kardashian”. So I think we cannot say that nobody is blaming her 😀
I agree with Lolo. It has a vibe of “Well, she asked for it. She went out on the streets in a short skirt…”
And I’m saying that as someone who really dislikes this strange catwoman.
I’m talking about the posters on this site who are being accused of victim blaming because they said Kim should be more cautious.. And why is it only victim blaming when it’s a woman?
I don’t think it has that vibe. If she is just wearing the jewelry no problem but she was fleshing it over social media bragging about the price tag of it.
It does not justify the crime. It facilitate it.
Ultimately, it’s our own responsibility to protect ourselves. In all of this talk of “who’s to blame” it doesn’t change the outcome either way. Wouldn’t you rather prevent a crime than have to deal with the aftermath? She’s extremely lucky all they did was steal something. Would we even be having the same discussion if she was kidnapped?
OBVIOUSLY it was the robbers fault, but Kim needs to reevaluate her security after this like the ex guard said, and that is NOT victim blaming. She snap chats where she is located, broadcasts that she has millions of dollars of jewels in her, has no security, and we are just going to pretend that this is ok? Listen, no one deserves this, but come on. There were ways to prevent this. Even if she doesn’t want to give up broadcasting her life, she could hire armed guards. They could have determined whether these guys were cops or not.
Even last night, E! was reporting on exactly where each and every family member was.
What is the point of having beautiful jewels if you are not going to show them off? Kim is a celebrity who has to show her lifestyle to the world in order to remain relevant. That is her career, her life.
Then get security to match that lifestyle.
The only ones responsible for what happened are the criminals who tied her up and robbed her. I do hope that those people are caught.
Of course not; they were all in it together. PUBLICITY.
It’s a horrific situation to be in, and I feel for her, if all details are true.
Back in the day I used to watch KUWTK, when it first started. I have friends in LA who said it was just opulence gone wrong, and I remember this one episode (all about Kim) where everyone in the family, even Kim herself tells the camera that she is a massive liar & embellishes her stories. I thought it was funny at first, and there are several montages of her lying to her friends & family. She even lies to Kendall and kylie about something (they look about 10/12 years old?) and they don’t talk to her for days. Then At the end of the episode she says she won’t lie anymore and laughs…
Now I know that has nothing to do with this. But, it doesn’t help her case! I don’t like the fact that I am questioning her and this horrible situation. But something in me is thinking… maybe she’s embellishing?
I remember those episodes. They were pissed at her and she was so uncaring–like, “what did I do wrongggg???”
She’s just very self-absorbed, and if this did truly happen, I wonder how long she’s going to drag it out in the press rather than get some true therapy and find out what’s truly important in life. Also, that a history of crying wolf comes back and bites you in the ASS when you truly don’t want it to.
I hope that Kim takes this opportunity to makes some changes, sadly her need to flaunt her very extravagant jewelry made her targrt. Personally I think spending $4.5 million on a ring is so over the top and ostentatious, nobody needs that
It would be interesting to know how security operates in this type of residence before deciding who’s to blame. Some of the reasons some wealthy people stay there and not in The Bristol or any other palace is precisely because they want privacy, don’t trust places with a huge staff, where their comings and goings can be monitored or leaked to paps( Le Pourtalès has apparently very discreet exits). Dirty business is also less likely to be exposed.
I’m pretty sure that ,even if there’s some staff on call, some clients decline to use them (including video surveillance), preferring their own people, not trusting the locals . I wonder if that’s what happened here. The downside of the extra privacy is that you’re not probably as safe as in The Royal Monceau or the George V.
french articles mentioned that Le Poutales expects its clients to have & prefer their own security teams.
According the the french news, it is a privacy first and second kind of establishment.
Apparently, the only provided security reside in not advertising for the place, and trying to keep it as unknown and incognito as possible. You can’t be bothered if no one know where to find you.
Of course, now, that’s a big fail, it’s address is everywhere.
The difference between Taylor and Kim is that Taylor doesn’t document her every move, and her every extravagance to the world at large. That’s not victim blaming, that’s common sense. I’m pretty sure you yourself have commented before how stupid it is to post on facebook that you’re out of town on vacation and then come home shocked that someone ransacked your house.
My sister-in-law never posts on FB when they are going out of town (not even for weekend trips). She doesn’t post anything about the trip until AFTER it happens. While they are not in Kim’s category of money, they do have some, have a nice house and do not want it broken into while away. Kim has all the right in the world to post what she wants to on social media, but she needs to realize that it makes her more vulnerable to attack. I would have thought that after she was “pranked” by that journalist that they would beef up her security.
+1000
If I were super rich I would cross this apartment from my list.
I don’t understand why Pascal was blamed in the first place – he was clearly out protecting Kourtney and Kendall, while Kim remained indoors at their rental.
Their only mistake was taking ONE bodyguard. I agree with the decision of having a more secure security detail, especially if they travel with the children.
I was dumbfounded yesterday after reading comments that insinuated she had set this whole thing up herself, and compared her to Ryan Lochte. That is such backwards thinking entirely devoid of empathy! I also found it ridiculous that people were criticizing her for having personal belongings like jewels. At any point in time any of us can be victims of theft, so are we to keep everything stored in vaults in fear? Absolutely not!
The point is, an innocent human being was robbed at gunpoint, a situation so terrifying it will certainly leave psychological scarring for time to come. I feeel terrible for Kim, we should show her more empathy instead of contempt.
Seriously, some of the most hypocritical and evil stuff I read in here yesterday. I hope someone cares if the same thing happened to one of those people.
There is a difference between having questions, and wishing this situation upon somebody. I have not read one comment that wished this upon Kim or was glad it happened. Just because we don’t take everything as gospel doesn’t mean we don’t have empathy.
“At any point in time any of us can be victims of theft, so are we to keep everything stored in vaults in fear? Absolutely not!”
…Um, not everyone has one tiny thing that is worth $4.5M. When you have items of extraordinary value, you have to take extraordinary measures to protect them because they are vulnerable to theft.
There’s no hard and fast proof that any of this actually happened, you know. Just because she said it did, it did? You’re forgetting who we’re talking about, these people are the queens of publicity stunts.
Exactly. If it happened then that is horrible. However, I won’t feel bad for not buying the story hook, line and sinker. These people are famous for doing anything for attention and a storyline.
Well the French police are apparently saying they have CCTV of the (masked) robbers so if it is faked, it was fully acted out rather than Kim just saying it happened.
I don’t think it was faked because the Kardashians are being quiet on social media. If they knew it was coming, they’d have had a PR strategy in place.
Even if he is a suspect I doubt the police want her to fire him. He can lead them to the others.
My biggest fear when I first heard this news was actually sexual assault. Her items are all insured so she’ll recover her monetary value at least.
Creepy.
If your FB profile has the company you work for and pictures of your travels across Europe, that’s enough to know you’re rich. You dont have to show your specific goods. Sharing those pictures is vain and superficial but I really dont think it plays a role in your chances of being violently robbed. So please stop acting like Kim’s Instagram had anything to do with this.
But does your company FB page also post photos of your house, your neighbourhood, your cats and dogs ? All information used to find where your goods are located and how their protected ?
According to statistics, 78 percent of robbers check Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare for potential places. 74 percent use Google Street View to check out the property. And I guess find it.
So no, it’s not her fault, it’s not exactly her social media use fault. But it made her a target and facilitate the crime.
Home robberies haven’t gone up with the invention of social media. They managed just fine without it.
The particular group that targeted Kim has also robbed some intensely private and insulated people.
Home robberies may or may not have gone up, but the tools used by robbers have change. And social media watch is one of those.
What is the point of these stupid crime rings? With all that prep and work, these people could have really nice and cozy jobs.
Is he really going to imply that her lack of armed security is about money? You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s about not wanting a damn gun around her and her children.
I mean, it is somewhat about money.
Most celebrity bodyguards really aren’t equipped to deal with an armed robbery, their job is primarily to look threatening and stop people touching their client while they go about their business. Occasionally they might have to restrain a crazy fan.
If you want to hire the kind of people who could protect you from an incident like this, you’re going to have to spend an absolute fortune. People far, far wealthier than Kardashian don’t feel the need to spend that sort of money, it’s completely understandable that she wouldn’t.
.
In some counties they would chop off your finger for a ring that big. I am glad she isn’t hurt. Emotionally it will take a while to heal from.
Have any of her family members made a statement? They have all been radio silent on social media (that should confirm the validity of it!!). I wonder if Kourtney and Kendall feel guilty they were out when it happened? Someone set her up and sold her out it seems. They would have to be casing her very closely to put all the info (like Pascal being out) together.
I’m sure we’ll get to relieve the whole thing on a very special episode of KUWTK.
She ought to fire her make-up artist.
And her plastic surgeon.
And her stylist.
Yes
Yes
Yes
+10000000000000
This was a hard way to learn a lesson… stop posting where you are at all times Kim. If her bodyguard wasn’t there, then I don’t see how it was his fault so I’m glad she will keep him on board. She should feel safe in her own home, but I think this was an inside job. It went too smoothly.
this whole scenario reminds me of Taken from the Serbian robbers to the posh apartment and everything…not a fan of Kim but if it went down as she said, I feel for her.
Paparrazi follow her everywhere, they could help catching the guys, since it is impossible to go after her, with having at least one Paparrazi taking pictures of her.
I certainly don’t blame Kim, I saw outlets blaming her and thought they were very offside. What I don’t get is how saying this happening to Taylor Swift would make people blame the victim less. From what I’ve seen, people blame Taylor lots, especially since Kim showed her up recently and exposed her lies. People would say it was Taylor’s fault too because people suck.
No victim should be blamed for an act of violence, Kardashian, Swift or anyone else.
I am baffled that Kim Kardashian used to be Middle Eastern and now she turned Indian! She looks like Padma Lakshme
Yes, she does!
As Kaiser prefaced the article earlier today, I am embarrassed by the Celebitchy community I usually find to be such a refreshing collective voice weighing in on current gossip. Do I believe KK to be an attention craving celeb? Yes, a thousand times yes. Do I think it’s awful for commenters on this board to rear view mirror-critique her lack of security for a few minutes on a random weeknight? Again, a thousand times yes. She was assaulted. In a safe space she considered a home-away-from-home environment. How is that her fault?
She can’t fire her security guard because he works for E! Network and was assigned to her. The hotel was a grace and favour loan from the fashion houses that paid her to attend and be photographed at their shows. She’s not in Paris to waste time. She’s getting paid to appear. The thieves knocked at the door. If they’d forced their way in Kim would have had time to alert the police. She opened the door because she thought her sister was returning from the club.