Kim Kardashian On Ellen: Reality Star Gives First Interview Since Paris Robbery

Kim Kardashian West was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris apartment on Oct. 3, 2016. She spoke about the incident for the first time on her reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” just weeks ago. But it wasn’t until this week that Kardashian had been willing to sit for a formal interview. Kardashian gave her first public interview in a Thursday episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Ellen, like many of Kardashian’s fans, was eager to know how she was doing since the incident. “I know this sounds crazy, but I know that was meant to happen to me,” Kardashian said before fighting back tears. “That was so meant to happen to me. I really feel that things happen in your life to teach you things.”

Ellen handed Kardashian a tissue while the audience applauded. Kardashian took a breath before describing how the event has changed her.

“It was probably no secret, you see it on the show when I was being flashy. I was definitely materialistic before,” she said. “Not that there’s anything bad with having things and working hard to get those things. I’m really proud of everyone around me who’s successful, but I’m so happy that my kids get this me and that this is who is raising my kids. I just don’t care about that stuff anymore.”

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Kardashian revealed that after speaking with her attorney, she learned that the men who robbed her had been following her for two years and targeting specific items or jewels that Kardashian wore in interviews.

Kardashian explained much of what was publically made clear on a harrowing episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” this season during which Kim expressed to her sisters that she feared she would have been raped or murdered during the robbery. Recalling the incident, Kardashian told DeGeneres that during the incident, a friend who was staying in a room below hers — evidently unbeknownst to the robbers — alerted her sisters and security, who’d been out of the apartment when the incident occurred.

Ultimately, however, Kim is prepared to move on with the knowledge that the event has made her “such a better person.”

“It was a good seven or eight minutes of torture, but when I look back and I analyze it, I'm like, 'OK, they weren't really aggressive.' It could have been way worse, so I don't want to sound like I'm not grateful. I'm out, I'm home, I'm safe, I'm such a better person—it's OK. Let's move on.”