October 3, 2016

Where were the reality-show cameras?

"Kim Kardashian West was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night inside a luxury Paris apartment by two masked men dressed as police officers, according to a spokeswoman...."
[She] was “badly shaken but physically unharmed,” the spokeswoman told The Associated Press, offering no further details.... The attack was described as a violent robbery, though officials have not provided a detailed account of what happened... The news agency... cited police sources who said she had been left tied up in a bathroom.

Agence France-Presse quoted an unnamed police source as saying that a ring worth around 4 million euros, or about $4.5 million, had been stolen, along with a case of jewelry worth around €5 million and two mobile phones....
How can something like this happen? Wouldn't someone with $10 million worth of jewelry in her possession have armed guards?

51 comments:

Brando said...

Are you suggesting an insurance scam?

I'm actually surprised they go anywhere without at least one bodyguard.

TreeJoe said...

This story has alot of questions around it - 5 men dressed as police walked through a high-end hotel and hotel security didn't know about it or respond in force? 5 unidentified men entered a VIP's suite without security noticing?

Kanye West's reaction certainly seems genuine though. For once.

MadisonMan said...

I am immediately suspicious when jewelry is claimed to be stolen. Said to be worth millions.

Paste duplicates look very convincing.

readering said...

Hotel could be in trouble. How did these men know her room number?

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Ryan Lochte knows how this feels.

rhhardin said...

Did they leave the shoes and bags, is the question.

David Begley said...

She has insurance. Would not be surprised if this was an inside deal. Insurance fraud. Think Kathleen Turner and William Hurt in "Body Heat."

Greg Hlatky said...

New reality show: "Kim Kardashian's Fraud Trial".

HoodlumDoodlum said...

I don't believe it, though: the robbers are described as holding her "at gunpoint." But this was in Europe. In Paris! They don't have redneck hillbillies in Paris, guys. They don't have gun crime in Europe. I'm not even sure they have robberies...but if they do they certainly don't have criminals who use guns. It's against the law there. Duh.
The fact checkers really missed the boat on this one.

damikesc said...

Are you suggesting an insurance scam?

I'm actually surprised they go anywhere without at least one bodyguard.


My wife watches their show.

No, they don't seem to go anywhere without security.

And this was a luxury apartment. I cannot imagine they'd allow "police" in there without some evidence of a crime or what have you. Would assume they have security camera footage of them.

wendybar said...

Funny...Kanye was just begging for money a few months ago...Insurance SCAM!!!

robother said...

"Body Heat": The Reality Show. No wonder Kanye seemed genuinely upset, if he remembers the movie. Maybe the culprit can be identified from the sex tape the film crew recorded.

jr565 said...

She owns a ring worth 4.5 million dollars? I have no sympathy for her.

madAsHell said...

two masked men dressed as police officers, according to a spokeswoman

I think the story is going to fall apart.

David Begley said...

Maybe the press for once will do its job and start asking questions about insurance fraud.

Were the jewels insured for replacement cost or what? Deductible size?

Scam. These people are a scam. Calling what Kanye West does "music" is a per se scam.

Yancey Ward said...

My first instinct on hearing this story is that it is fraudulent.

David said...

Not a hotel anything like where all of us have stayed, even if it was a super swanky one. It's actually a bunch of apartments, pitched at the very wealthy and super celebrated. KK probably had bodyguards as part of her entourage but there are no "B" rooms for them in this hotel. There have to be security cameras, one would think, but maybe the privacy mania even outweighs that. Why would KK want a video record who whom she entertains when traveling?

One difference between the super rich now and in the past is that now we have so many of them. A target rich environment.

David Begley said...

Insurance companies for the hotel and the jewels have an incentive to uncover this fraud. Think Renee Russo and Pierce Brosnan in The Thomas Crown Affair.

Ann Althouse said...

You know, there are 2 little children too, so if a robbery like this is possible, so is kidnapping. I cannot believe these people are not thoroughly protected.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It's definitely a fake robbery if neither of the robbers took a brief moment to cop a feel.

Freeman Hunt said...

"Wouldn't someone with $10 million worth of jewelry in her possession have armed guards?"

No, not necessarily within the apartment.

I went to school with a few kids from a family worth billions, and there were some other kids from families worth millions. This was a public school, and I never saw an armed guard anywhere through our 12 grades. Never saw one at anyone's house either. Perhaps if it had a been a bigger town things would have been different, but I don't know.

Jimmy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
holdfast said...

I am sure that their security thugs are armed in the US - but in France? Is it possible for private individuals to obtain armed security there? Even in Canada, which is relatively gun-friendly compared to most western countries not named USA or Czech, there is very little private armed security - most cops are not allowed to carry off duty.

Ann Althouse said...

"I am sure that their security thugs are armed in the US - but in France? Is it possible for private individuals to obtain armed security there?"

I don't know, but I wouldn't go there with those children and $10 million in jewels — shown-off jewels — if I couldn't have armed guards.

Etienne said...

I looked at the hotel on google street view. Holy crap, it's right on a main avenue.

Everyone (detectives) are calling it an inside job. Many are calling it an insurance heist, as the West's are bankrupt (lots of stuff, but no cash).

dwick said...

Sounds like the the plot line for the next Pink Panther (i.e., Inspector Closeau) movie. Too bad Peter Sellers is long gone - he was the best. Steve Martin more or less bombed in his go at a sequel, I guess. Who will Hollywood cast this time around?

J Scott said...

Assuming it's not fraud, the robbers just stole a bunch of stuff that they can't possibly sell. Dumb.

lonetown said...

Masked policemen?


The Lone Ranger?

chickelit said...

I wish them ill

Ignorance is Bliss said...

dwick said...

Who will Hollywood cast this time around?

No idea, but I guarantee she'll be way funnier than any man ever was.

David Begley said...

Blogger J Scott said...
Assuming it's not fraud, the robbers just stole a bunch of stuff that they can't possibly sell. Dumb.

Wrong. Take the jewels out of the settings. Fungible and untraceable. Way better than stealing artwork.

Big Mike said...

You know, there are 2 little children too, so if a robbery like this is possible, so is kidnapping. I cannot believe these people are not thoroughly protected.

I wouldn't go there with those children and $10 million in jewels — shown-off jewels — if I couldn't have armed guards
.

@Althouse, the Kardashians are not exactly candidates for Nobel laureate status.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

I am sure that their security thugs are armed in the US - but in France? Is it possible for private individuals to obtain armed security there?

I recently read an article about some interior designer being beaten up in Paris by a Saudi Princess' guards per her command. The article specifically mentioned that the Saudi Royalties' guards are allowed to be armed in France due to a specific diplomatic accommodation motivated by the fact that the Saudis buy a lot of stuff from France, but other individuals' civilian bodyguards could not.

My wife's first thought when I told her about this was insurance fraud. I'm not paranoid enough.

gadfly said...

Kardashian, you see, is a friend of Donald Trump and his clan, so she quickly learned that losses for tax purposes are an excellent means to have your cake and eat it too. So I conclude that the Cops n' Robbers are friends of hers. Consider that if the insurance company won't pay because of lack of security, Uncle Sam will come to attention and salute.

It would probably be good reading to determine how many times the Trump Empire pulled this same trick. And in reponse to outraged Trumpsters, there are those of us who believe Donald capable of illegal acts such as this one would be.

Unknown said...

I think the reports are that the concierge was taken hostage first and led them to the room and that's why KK opened the door for them. So maybe concierge is the 'inside' job suspect. I can't imagine KK and West would risk committing insurance fraud and going to prison. Also, reports say the kids were not with her.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

@gadfly

Wow, guess I'm up there with Trump cause my wife is a real estate agent and one year she spent more money on the business than she made, so we deducted the business losses from our income tax. Who knew that made us the same as international jewel thieves and titans of industry?

I don't know that this tax thing is going to work out the way Hillary and her minions are thinking it will. Sure, the really stupid people are going to fall for it but they were going vote for Hillary anyway. Most people know someone who is in business for themselves and have deducted business losses. Its not nearly as esoteric as the non-productive class believes.

Curious George said...

"Alix Barrett said...
I can't imagine KK and West would risk committing insurance fraud and going to prison."

It was probably Kanye's doing, without her knowledge. He envisions himself a big thinker.

TobyTucker said...

If this place caters to the very well-to-do, I'm surprised there wasn't more security, and if nothing else, a safe on the premises for said wealthy patrons to store their valuables.

Paul said...

Armed guards? In France???? Non-police with guns???

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Ryan Lochte WAS robbed at gunpoint, as the video shows, but he didn't have Persian Privilege. And why would robbers have police uniforms AND masks?

Leora said...

Gadfly, you are sure Donald Trump is capable of illegal acts despite the lack of evidence. I know Hillary is capable of illegal acts because James Comey says so.

Jeff Hall said...

"“When I was with Michael it just wouldn’t have happened. The robbers wouldn’t have got past the front door, let alone to her bedroom."

Every story's better if you can work Michael Jackson into it. He's still the MSG of pulp journalism.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1904759/michael-jacksons-former-security-chief-blasts-kardashian-protection-team-for-leaving-star-alone/

Anonymous said...

Something smells. She's in Paris and is carrying around millions in jewels. Not in a hotel or bank safe?

Darrell said...

The recent Yeezy fashion show at the New York Fashion Week was an absolute failure. Of course this is a cash-raising exercise.

Fabi said...

It's an insurance scam. The bad news for her is that underwriters at that level, e.g., Chubb, don't play those games.

Michael K said...

I knew somebody would drag Trump into it.

I wonder if the security cameras sleep with the fishes. I don't know if Bleachbit works on security tapes. Hillary would know.

Jupiter said...

Alix Barrett said...
"I can't imagine KK and West would risk committing insurance fraud and going to prison."

I can't either. That's why West wasn't there.

It's amazing what some women will do for a worthless thug.

Amadeus 48 said...

I predict the jewels will be recovered. This is obviously several episodes of their TV show. This whole thing sounds phoney to me.

Zach said...

That can't be more than 50 yards from the Pantheon. Nice digs.

Annie said...

Gadfly, I guess you can throw my elderly father in with Trump too. He lost nearly half his life savings in the '09 crash. He is still allowed to write it off to this day. You would too. Quit being an ignoramous.

Abolish the IRS and replace it with a flat tax. 1. You get rid of a weaponized agency and 2. Perhaps more people will have more skin in the game. Half the population should not shoulder the burden of the other half.

damikesc said...

Kardashian, you see, is a friend of Donald Trump and his clan, so she quickly learned that losses for tax purposes are an excellent means to have your cake and eat it too.

So this "incident" is...Trump's fault? Intriguing. I've never heard of Kim or Kanye being buddies with Donald, but I don't follow pop culture as much as most. Do they vacation together? My wife watches their show and they've mentioned Trump's name in years...but they probably save for that for their private family time, right?

Her family, outside of Bruce, supports Democrats and have for a long, long time.

It would probably be good reading to determine how many times the Trump Empire pulled this same trick. And in reponse to outraged Trumpsters, there are those of us who believe Donald capable of illegal acts such as this one would be.

Is she declaring bankruptcy? Has Trump committed insurance fraud (or actually been tied up and robbed, if the story is true)?