Kim Kardashian's Robber Blames Her for Paris Jewelry Heist

After spending nearly two years in prison, Yunis Abbas, one of the members of the notorious crime group composed mostly of men over 60, also known as the “Grandpa Gangsters,” is now a free man, and available for media appearances, apparently.

Somewhat ironically, Abbas hopped on an interview with VICE to critique the hyper-visibility of the Kardashians’ wealth and status, saying it made Kim an easy target.

“They should be a little less showy towards people who can’t afford it,” Abbas said of the Kardashians and other influencers. “For some people, it’s provocative.”

Related | Man Who Allegedly Robbed Kim Kardashian in Paris Wrote a Tell-All Book

Abbas and his affiliates were provoked into action. After seeing Kardashian’s posts depicting her jewelry, including her $4 million, 20-carat engagement ring from Kanye West, and her trip to Paris for Fashion Week, the group put two and two together and came up with the $10 million heist. It’s simple math, really.

Perhaps owing to Abbas’ life of crime and general off-grid history, he didn’t really know who Kim Kardashian was. They say never get too close to your mark. His familiarity with her came primarily through Kanye West, and that one episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians where Kim loses her earring in the Tahitian Ocean. We’ll be amending Kourtney’s iconic quote to, “Kim, there’s people that are getting robbed.”

The robbery was genuinely traumatic for Kim, who tearfully recounted it in an episode of David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” in October 2020. Getting handcuffed, tied, and thrown in your hotel bathtub will do that to you. Abbas, however, showed little remorse.

When asked whether he felt any guilt over the robbery, Abbas replied, “Since she was throwing money away, I was there to collect it, and that was that. Guilty? No, I don’t care.”

Spoken like a more-sinister Robin Hood, Abbas did share some compassion for Kim Kardashian, adding, “You don’t come out of it unscathed. Of course, she must have been traumatized.”

Abbas also came out of the incident a changed man. Following the completion of his two-year sentence, Abbas made his own claim to fame, and his memoir called “I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian” hit shelves in February 2021.

The irony of the fascination with celebrity robberies and the hypervisibility of celebrities which creates the perfect conditions for said robberies is not lost on us and grows more pervasive in the age of social media.

Just last week, Mariah Carey’s Atlanta residence was robbed, and the alleged group responsible was arrested today. Though Carey, unlike Kardashian, was not home at the time of the robbery, her vacation posts across social media are believed to have tipped off the robbers of her empty home.

The moral of the story? #KeepInfluencersSafe, maybe Kylie can start a #campaign on that too.

Photo by Carl Timpone/BFA