Kim Kardashian has denied allegations that she purchased a stolen statue from Italy. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/kim-kardashian-looted-roman-statue/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> reports that the 40-year-old reality TV star was been named in court filings alleging she was involved in importing an ancient statue from Rome. The artifact is a part of a limestone sculpture known as 'Fragment of Myron's Samian Athena', which dates back to the Peplophoros period, between the first and second century AD. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CBSLA/status/1389993285494661125]] In June 2016, US Customs and Border Protection at the Los Angeles and Long Beach Seaport seized the item, along with several other valuable objects, as part of a shipment dubbed: "Antiques & Modern Furniture & Decorations Objects." A form submitted by a customs broker apparently lists the importer and consignee of the shipment as "Noel Roberts Trust" - an entity linked to Kim and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Kanye West's real estate purchases. These court documents go on to name one of the statue's shippers as the art dealer and interior designer Axel Vervoordt, who has worked with Kardashian on several of her properties in the past. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/kim-kardashian-looted-roman-statue/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> reports that one invoice, dating back to Vervoordt's purchase of the statue from a Paris gallery in 2012, describes it as a "large draped statue" from an "Old German collection". [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/robertsnellnews/status/1388279597003907072]] Yet a second invoice written later describes it as being only a "fragment" of a statue, with notes suggesting that it originated from Italy. These same court documents further allege that these invoices, submitted by an unnamed customs broker, may in fact describe two different artifacts. A spokesperson for Kim Kardashian said in a statement to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/kim-kardashian-looted-roman-statue/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>: <blockquote>"We believe that it may have been purchased using her name without authorization and because it was never received (and) she was unaware of the transaction. "We encourage an investigation and hope that it gets returned to the rightful owners."</blockquote> <img class=" wp-image-1263106424" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/05/Kim-1.jpeg" alt="Kim Kardashian." width="766" height="399" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Alamy/Reuters]] Meanwhile, a spokesperson representing Axel Vervoordt told the publication: "There is no evidence that this piece was illegally imported from Italy. "Our client, as well as our gallery and the gallery from whom we've bought the piece have always acted in good faith when dealing with the work." <h6>Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Sipa US</h6>

Kim Kardashian denies purchasing ancient statue smuggled from Italy as cops begin probe

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