Calvin Klein’s former boy toy is accused of being a drug-slinging roommate from hell
The former ‘toyboy’ boyfriend of fashion icon Calvin Klein has been accused of being a drug-addicted ‘nightmare’ roommate from hell.
Nick Gruber made headlines more than a decade ago during his two-year relationship with Klein, but admitted the failure of the high-profile encounter left him ‘chasing the lights’ of fame and ‘chased’ by drugs.
His Parkinson’s-stricken landlord, Richard Jones, told me ABC7 The problems started during the pandemic when he and his husband Alfonso Monreal rented out a room to help them with bills and met Gruber.
They said that while Gruber initially seemed “nice” and “polite,” they soon realized he was a drug dealer, leading to a years-long legal saga that left Jones devastated and broke.
Richard Jones (right) and his husband Alfonso Monreal (left) hired Calvin Klein’s ex-boyfriend as a tenant in their home during the pandemic, which they say quickly turned into a ‘nightmare’
Nick Gruber, Calvin Klein’s former ‘boytoy’ (pictured together in 2011), dated the fashion icon for two years from 2010, with their 48-year age difference making headlines
Gruber dated Klein for two years starting in 2010, marking the fashion legend’s first openly gay relationship. Their tryst was often documented in the media, not least because of their 48-year age difference.
He worked as a model for a time, but admitted that after the end of his relationship he was still “chasing the lights of fame,” which led to a party lifestyle that included several arrests, including attacking someone with a frying pan and stealing drugs. .
βAnd after the divorce, you know, the drugs kind of followed me and haunted me over the years, and it was something that I had to deal with,β Gruber recalled.
In 2021, Jones met Gruber through friends at the same time he was renting a room in his Santa Rosa home, and the former “boytoy” moved in shortly after.
However, Jones said his sleepy neighborhood soon became plagued with cars and men passing by his house at all hours of the night.
Neighbors told ABC7 they assumed the strange activity was drug-related, but had no proof until police were called in 2021 due to a landlord-tenant dispute at the home.
While the exact nature of the dispute is not clear, Santa Rosa police discovered that Gruber was on probation due to a previous drug arrest, meaning they could conduct a warrantless search of his property.
Jones broke down in tears as he recalled the ordeal of living with Gruber, which he said worsened the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and made him “very emotional.”
Police were called to the home in 2021 after a dispute and conducted a search when officers discovered Gruber was on probation. During the search, the inside of Gruber’s room is visualized
In Gruber’s portion of the home, officers found a locked safe containing a semi-automatic firearm, nine pounds of meth and $10,000 in cash.
Gruber’s hard-partying lifestyle after his relationship with Klein ended led to several arrests, including an assault in 2012 (pictured at that arraignment) and another assault with a frying pan in 2019.
In Gruber’s portion of the home, officers found a locked safe containing a semi-automatic firearm, nine pounds of meth and $10,000 in cash, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. said Patricia Seffens.
Gruber insists he was not a drug dealer, but admits he was a “broker” in the “drug industry.”
βI would just call the customer, and then get a hold of the supplier person and get the deals done,β he said.
Gruber was arrested following the search and charged with possession for sale of a controlled substance in excess of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a felon, identity theft and forgery.
He served two years in prison for the crimes, but his release only brought more trouble for Jones and Monreal.
Following Gruber’s release in 2023, the former model tracked down the couple at their new home in Oakland, California, and demanded that Jones return any belongings he left behind while behind bars.
Speaking this week, Gruber said he ‘regretted’ his role in the saga and admitted it ‘never should have happened’
Gruber admitted he was still “chasing the lights of fame” after his relationship with Klein ended in 2012, and said he became “haunted” by drugs in the years that followed.
Gruber, who spoke to ABC7 this week, emphasized that the couple, as his landlords, had “a duty and obligation to protect my property.”
Jones countered that he followed his attorney’s advice by sending Gruber an eviction notice and a letter warning him that his property would be disposed of if it was not collected.
βI waited six months for him to show up, but he never showed up,β he said, adding that he subsequently donated Gruber’s belongings to the Mormon Church.
Gruber claims these assets include a range of luxury items, including two Prada suits worth $10,000, a Rolex watch and a custom Calvin Klein desk worth more than $10,000.
Upon learning that these items had been donated, Gruber filed a lawsuit against Jones for $182,000 to cover the value of the items, and another $233,000 in damages.
Gruber pictured leaving court in Manhattan after an unrelated arrest in 2019, where he was accused of attacking someone with a frying pan
When Gruber could not provide receipts for the lavish purchases, a judge dismissed his claims but still ruled in Gruber’s favor and held Jones responsible for $8,683.
Now facing the legal bill, Jones said he is broke and unable to pay it, and said the stress of his clash with Gruber has worsened the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
βI’m very emotional because it affects me so much and I still have to fight and reminisce about what I went through,β Jones said through tears.
Gruber admitted he regrets his role in the saga’s sad conclusion, saying, “From the heart, I apologize… I mean, it shouldn’t have ended like this, or it should never have happened.”
He said he has been clean and sober for more than three years, adding that he now plans to write a tell-all book about his time in Klein’s inner circle.