U.S. reality TV star Kim Kardashian West has fled the French capital after being tied up and robbed at gunpoint in an exclusive hotel by a gang posing as police officers who stole up to €10 million (£7.9m) worth of jewellery.
On Monday afternoon Mrs West returned to the United States, landing in New York to be reunited with her husband and mother.
Gunilla Ebers, the director of an art studio across the street from their Manhattan flat, said the scene “was out of control. Police barricades, a couple of police cars, secret service and 15 big, black Cadillac Escalades.”
Mr Ebers added that the Wests “rushed in.”
He said: “Kim seemed very subdued.
“They’ve been staying here for a long time and she’s seemed more animated and taken selfies with fans, but today was straight in. Kanye West looked very concerned.”
French police said the 35-year-old was “tied up and locked in the bathroom”, AFP reported. The robbers made off with a ring worth around €4 million (£3.5m) and a case of jewellery with a value of €5 million (£4.4m), a police source said. Two mobile phones were also taken.
Mrs West had recently posted photos on social media of a large diamond ring, a gift from her husband. The robbers only spoke French, she said.
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— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) September 29, 2016
She begged for her life and told the robbers, according to TMZ, that she had money and they could take whatever they wanted.
Mrs West’s friend Simone was sleeping in the downstairs bedroom and, on hearing the commotion, locked herself in the bathroom and called the bodyguard, Pascal Duvier.
He arrived back at the apartment two minutes after the robbers left. The entire incident took around six minutes.
They fled with an estimated €10 million (£8.6m) in valuables.
Mrs West was staying in the Hotel de Pourtalès, a 19th century neo-Renaissance town mansion in Paris’ cosseted 8th arrondissement.
Mrs West was in Paris for fashion week with her family and had attended an open-air Givenchy show in the Jardin des Plantes, in the 5th arrondissement before attending a private dinner then returning to the hotel.
A Paris police spokesman has confirmed that the robbery took place and said an investigation was underway.
