Cannes Jewelry Heist: $1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Film Festival from Chopard Hotel Room
Jewels intended for movie stars at the Cannes Film Festival were stolen from a hotel room late Thursday night.
Swiss jewelry company Chopard was keeping the jewels in a safe, which were intended to be loaned to top actors. French police reported that the jewels were stolen from the safe in a room at the Suite Novotel Cannes Centre. The identities of the burglars are unknown at this time.
France 24 reported that "the safe containing the jewels was pulled off the wall, and the thief or thieves carried it away."
The Chopard employee whose hotel room was broken into was identified as an American, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The heist may have been an inside job with employees of the Novotel Hotel itself, according to French police.
The theft took place on the same day as the premiere of Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, which stars Emma Watson as the leader of a group of high school burglars who break into celebrity houses. Many reports and tweets surfaced about the incident and the irony of the theft occurring on the same day as The Bling Ring premiere. Some are even suggesting that a film should be made based on the incident.
Located in the French Riviera, many top movie stars, executives, and reporters flew to Cannes for the exclusive film festival. The festival officially opened on Wednesday.
Chopard was also robbed at Cannes in 2008, when a gunman stole $8 million worth of jewels from the company's store. Additionally, armed men on motorbikes stole $21 million in jewelry from French jewelry store Cartier in 2009.
Chopard has been a longtime official sponsor for Cannes, designing the prestigious Palm d'Or award given to the Best Film winner.
