Even after their split, the eccentric, self-centered behavior of Kanye West is still popping up to stop Kim Kardashian from feeling happy again!
ICYMI, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has been embroiled in legal troubles with Italy for a statue that the US government claims dates back to 1st or 2nd Century Rome — meaning it cannot be housed in the states! Known as the Fragment of Myron’s Samian Athena (below), the sculpture apparently arrived in 2016 in a 5-ton shipment with 40 other antiques and decorative items. Unfortunately it was allegedly “looted, smuggled and illegally exported from Italy,” which is causing serious headaches for whomever bought it — which appears to have been Kim!
The reality star has vehemently denied the fact she bought them, with a spokesperson saying earlier this week:
“Kim never purchased this piece and this is the first that she has learned of its existence. We believe it may have been purchased using her name without authorization and because it was never received, she was unaware of the transaction. We encourage an investigation and hope that it gets returned to the rightful owners.”
BUT the paperwork in which the package arrived is causing her major problems. It literally says the statue was sent for “Kim Kardashian dba Noel Roberts Trust.” And now we might finally understand why…
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A TMZ source says that it truly wasn’t Kim who made the big (potentially illegal) splurge, but her now-estranged hubby Kanye! On Thursday, the insider insisted the 40-year-old knew nothing of the package’s existence until last week when s**t hit the fan.
Kanye has yet to claim ownership of the package — likely for good reason, he maybe should never have had it in the first place! But it’s unclear why his team would have listed the shipment under his baby momma’s name. Both celebs used the Noel Roberts Trust in their past, especially when making other big-ticket purchases. Was the rapper hoping to surprise his former lover with a gift? Or did he sense some sketchy vibes with the antiques and purposefully avoid telling the beauty guru? Also, why not mention anything when he never received his package worth about $750,000?! Who knows at this point, but it’s definitely a bit strange!
Kim may not be the one who pulled the trigger, but she certainly is not out of the woods yet, even with this insider’s scoop, since she’s also heavily tied to the Belgium designer Axel Vervoordt who sent the statue to the US. It’s presumed his company could have put the E! personality’s name on the customs docs. Axel was also working with the Cali residents a lot in that timeframe while they were building their Hidden Hills mansion, often described more like a museum than a house. So we can see why one of them may have wanted a fancy piece of Italy!
But still, Vervoordt is assuring the outlet he acquired the statue “in good faith.” After buying the Roman sculpture from a French Gallery, it was also traced back to a German auction house were it was originally sold. The feds believe it may have been a cultural treasure from Italy, stolen from an archaeological site, and that its existence in America violates the Cultural Property Implementation Act.
While seeming to go along with the investigation so far, the designer added:
“At this point there is no evidence that this piece was illegally imported from Italy. If investigation proves that the piece was actually exported from Italy without a proper export license from the Italian Ministry of Culture, then we will of course take our responsibility.”
Kim is also totally not opposed to sending the statue back to its original home — which shouldn’t be surprising since she claims she never knew about it in the first place! A confidant close to her also shared that the influencer hopes the issue will be resolved quickly, as we can imagine.
Related: The Return Of Kim’s Crying Face — Watch The Emotional KUWTK Clip
Also, it’s not like the model has even seen the statue since its arrival in the states. It has likely been sitting in a warehouse somewhere since it was seized by Customs and Border Protection in 2016. Now the government just needs legal right to send it back to Italy. Wild!
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Who do YOU think really ordered that shipment? And are you buying the fact that none of the sellers involved think it’s Italy’s precious property? Let us know your thoughts on this international drama (below)!
The post Kim Kardashian Actually DID Kind Of Buy That 'Looted' Italian Statue — But It Was Kanye West's Fault! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
