Kim Kardashian West sues website over fake jewellery claims

Kim Kardashian West has launched a lawsuit refuting claims she faked the jewellery robbery in Paris. Courtesy Dominique Charriau / Getty Images

Kim Kardashian West filed a lawsuit this week against Mediatakeout.com for alleging the reality TV star faked having her expensive jewellery stolen from her while she was in Paris a few weeks ago to cheat her insurers out of millions of dollars.

In a suit filed in New York, the claim by the 35-year-old star stated that “after having been the victim of a horrific and traumatic armed robbery in France, Kim Kardashian returned to the United States only to again be victimised, but this time by an online gossip tabloid that published a series of articles in early October 2016 referring to her a liar and thief”.

The articles “claimed, without any factual support whatsoever, that Kardashian faked the robbery, lied about the violent assault, and then filed a fraudulent claim with her insurance company to bilk her carrier out of millions of dollars,” the lawsuit said.

“Defendants’ malicious publication of the Articles, which paint the victim of a serious crime as a criminal herself, is libellous per se.”

The American reality TV star was robbed on October 3 by five men posing as police officers while in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week. Kardashian was tied up and locked in the bathroom while the robbers helped themselves to a ring worth around $US4.5 million (Dh16.5m) and a case of jewellery with a value of $US5.6 million.

Two mobile phones were also stolen during the hold-up. The mother-of-two and wife of rap superstar Kanye West flew home to the US after being questioned by police over the incident, which a spokeswoman said had left her “badly shaken”.

Meanwhile, French prosecutors have formally opened an investigation into the robbery, a judicial source told AFP.

The investigation is focusing on “armed theft in a gang, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping,” the source said.

DNA traces that were found in the luxury apartment where Kardashian and her entourage were staying are also being examined, another source told AFP.

Kardashian West has been a fixture of US celebrity news for more than a decade, known mainly for the TV show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.