Entertainment

Who Is Kim K's Friend Simone Harouche?

by Courtney Lindley

Details about Kim Kardashian's tragic incident in Paris continue to emerge. Originally, reports claimed that Kardashian was alone during the robbery, but now sources are alleging that Kardashian's friend was also in the Paris hotel. According to People, the reality star's longtime friend and stylist Simone Harouche was allegedly in the next room when the robbery took place Monday morning. It's unclear on whether or not her reported presence helped the situation, but who is Simone Harouche and how does she know Kardashian? Bustle has reached out to Kim Kardashian's representatives for confirmation on this story, but has yet to receive a response.

Harouche is a fashion stylist who, according to her Instagram account, has worked with big name celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, and, yes, Kardashian. It appears that she was in Paris with the Kardashian sisters for the Givenchy runway show, as Kourtney shared a photo of her, Kim, and Simone on Instagram just before it began.

According to Only Agency's profile of Harouche, she has worked on high profile ad campaigns like Guess by Marciano. Her work has been seen in Vanity Fair, InStyle, Glamour, Marie Claire, and Rolling Stone, and she's collaborated with an impressive list of photographers. She was also named "one of the 25 most powerful stylists in Hollywood" in 2011, so it makes sense that she would work with Kardashian, and even more sense that the two would develop a friendship.

After the Givenchy show, Kardashian was held at gunpoint in her hotel room by two men posing as police officers. The robbers took $10 million worth of jewelry, Kardashian's purse, two cell phones, and 1,000 euros. When they left, she was able to free herself and call the police.

According to Teen Vogue, Harouche allegedly locked herself in a downstairs bathroom when she started to hear strange noises. She reportedly tried to call the police, before she was able to reach Kardashian's bodyguard Pascal Duvier and sister, Kourtney. (Kardashian's bodyguard Pascal Duvier was reportedly with Kourtney and Kendall Jenner during the time of the robbery). A source claimed in People, “By the time [Kim] escaped, Simone had heard noises. She was downstairs and called Pascal not knowing what was going on asking if everything was OK."

E! reports that, once Kardashian saw her, she allegedly told Simone to jump off the balcony for her own safety. Thankfully, the police reportedly arrived shortly thereafter, so Harouche did not need to jump. Whether Harouche was really present for the robbery or not still remains to be seen, but her friendship with Kardashian can't be denied.