Kim Kardashian West was robbed in Paris on Monday morning in her apartment. The five men were reportedly dressed as police officers, handcuffed the concierge, and forced him to show them Kardashian's room. They held a gun to her head, tied her up, and put her in the bathroom as they raided the French residence, so private it's often called the “No Address Hotel.” Kardashian reportedly begged the armed men not to kill her. Her spokeswoman has confirmed that she is “badly shaken, but not physically harmed.” As Kardashian privately heals, many have taken to social media to declare whether she deserved this traumatizing experience or not, because apparently this is an incident that's up for debate.

Spectators have been quick to toss out the identities of Kim Kardashian to decide whether she did or did not deserve to be robbed at gunpoint. In the “she deserves it” corner, her name has been paired with wealthy, famous, and careless. Some examples have included: Kim’s too public with her own life, Kim’s lying for attention, Kim was asking for it. In the “Be Reasonable” corner led by James Corden, people have been quick to point out Kardashian's familial traits. Kim is a mother. Kim is a sister. Kim is a daughter. A wife.

Whether pairing Kim Kardashian with an identity is used to condemn or defend her, there has rarely been a narrative that sees Kim Kardashian as an individual; a woman who was robbed and threatened and didn’t deserve it because she is simply a human being. Aside from her family, her fame, and career, the robbery of Kim Kardashian is a truly disturbing event, where a woman was attacked, and her voice and body silenced. She was alone, pleading for her life, and was forced to wonder if she would be raped or killed. In the robbery of Kim Kardashian West, there are no sides or arguments. There is not one identity that makes her more or less deserving of safety. If you really have to think to yourself “Well, I guess I do feel bad because she’s a mother”, you are creating a hierarchy of women who deserve violence and women who do not.

While responses like James Corden's are coming from a kind place, it's so quick to connect Kim Kardashian to traditional roles, like a wife and mother, to make her more relatable. We cannot keep participating in the narrative that women need to relatable to be respected.

While Kim Kardashian is a women that holds many roles and responsibilities, they are irrelevant in her robbery. On the morning on Monday, October 3rd, Kardashian was a woman whose personal space was invaded, and life was threatened. Unlike other areas of Kardashian's life, there is simply nothing to critique.

by Kelsey Duchesne