Calvin Klein's ex became a nightmare tenant, Santa Rosa couple says

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- A Santa Rosa man battling Parkinson's Disease took in a tenant at his home to help pay the bills, but that tenant turned out to be a nightmare. He also turned out to be the ex-boyfriend of fashion designer Calvin Klein. The landlord asked the I-Team's Dan Noyes to look into the case after the tenant filed a big lawsuit.

Nick Gruber got used to the spotlight as Calvin Klein's partner; they had a 48-year age difference. And, he had some very public controversies. He agreed to talk to us about his criminal record and this latest complaint that he was a problem tenant.

During the pandemic, Richard Jones and his husband, Alfonso Monreal, were looking for a roommate, someone to help pay the bills at their Santa Rosa home. Jones is battling Parkinson's Disease.

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Noyes: "You came to us to tell this story."
Jones: "Yes, I did."
Noyes: "Why?"
Jones: "Because I don't want this to happen to anybody else, just take your - (cries)."

A friend introduced Jones and his husband to Gruber. He made a good first impression.

"He seemed like a very nice guy," Jones said. "He's young, single, so he said. He's just very polite."

Monreal added, "I did my research, and I did a background check, and I was like, OK, Calvin Klein's ex-boytoy, ex-boyfriend."

Gruber made frequent appearances in the tabloids after he started seeing Calvin Klein in 2010 - the fashion designer's first public same-sex relationship. Gruber was 20 years old when it started; Klein, 68. Their romance inspired an off-Broadway play, "Skintight" by Roundabout Theatre Company.

All the attention had an effect on Gruber.

Noyes: "You go from just like a normal guy to paparazzi hounding you on the street and the red carpet with Calvin Klein and all that."
Gruber: "Yes."
Noyes: "Your head must have been spinning."
Gruber: "I mean, I guess I was chasing the lights. It was all glam and famous. I guess it could have been a culture shock, but I was able to adapt to it really quickly. I enjoyed it."

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Gruber tells us his relationship with Calvin Klein ended after two years because he got caught up in New York's party lifestyle.

"And after the separation, you know, the drugs kind of followed me a little bit and haunted me over the years, and it was something I had to deal with," said Gruber.

Gruber's run-ins with the law over drugs and sometimes guns continued when he began living with Jones and his husband in 2021.

Noyes: "You were dealing drugs at that point in time?"
Gruber: "I was in, I was in the drug industry at that time, yes."
Noyes: "I'm hearing you making a difference between selling drugs and being in the drug industry. If you don't want me to use the expression selling drugs, can you describe for me what you were doing in the drug industry?"
Gruber: "I was a broker. I would just - I'll call the client and then I would get a hold of the person who's the supplier and arrange the deals."

Jones' neighbor at the time told the I-Team, "It's a nice neighborhood."

Neighbors recall cars coming and going late into the night.

Dave Zimmerman: "Cars pulling up in front of the house and, you know, somebody going in for a while and then coming out."
Noyes: "What did the neighbors think was going on?"
Zimmerman: "We suspected it was some sort of drug activity."

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It all ended when Santa Rosa police responded to a call for a tenant-landlord dispute, and checked Gruber's record.

"And learned that he was on probation for a prior criminal conviction," Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Patricia Seffens said. "And he was required to submit to warrantless search and seizure of his person, vehicle and property."

Police searched the part of the house that Gruber used - a bedroom and a locked closet.

"Search of the closet uncovered a locked safe, which, when opened, had a semiautomatic handgun, approximately 9 pounds of methamphetamine, and $10,000 worth of cash." said Seffens.

Police arrested Gruber and charged him with Possession For Sale Of A Controlled Substance with a special allegation for Excess Methamphetamine, Possession of Firearm By A Felon, Identity Theft, and Forgery.

Richard and Anthony thought their problems had been solved, but Gruber got out after two years at High Desert State Prison, found the couple at their new apartment in Oakland, and asked for his belongings.

"I have a lot of property there," Gruber said. "And as a landlord, you have a duty and obligation to protect my property, and you failed to do so. You failed to give my property to my family friend."

Jones says he followed his attorney's advice, sending an eviction notice and a letter warning Gruber he was going to dispose of his property.

"I waited six months for him to show up and he never showed up," Jones said. "Never heard from him, so I donated a bunch of stuff to the Mormon Church."

Gruber sued Jones for breach of contract and valued his property at $182,000 - a long list, mostly designer clothes - two Prada suits for $10,000, a $10,000 Rolex watch, and a $10,000 custom Calvin Klein desk.

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Noyes: "Were all of those things actually in that room?"
Gruber: "Yes, they were."

Gruber also sought $233,000 more in damages, but the judge ruled in favor of the landlord and tossed out that part of the lawsuit, and when Gruber could not provide receipts for most of his property, the judge awarded him a total of $8,683.

Noyes: "That's a big difference from $180,000 down to $8,000. How do you feel about that?"
Gruber: "I mean, I'm just happy that I was able to win."

Jones tells us after lawyer's fees, he's broke, has no way of paying the $8,000, and that the stress of dealing with Gruber has made his Parkinson's Disease symptoms worse.

"(I'm) very emotional because it affects me so bad and still having to fight and have the memories come back of what I went through. I take it very personally," said Jones.

Noyes: "You with your business brought a lot of pressure to Richard, right? You understand?"
Gruber: "Yes. I mean, I apologize for what has happened. I do from the heart, I apologize. I mean, it shouldn't end that way, or it shouldn't have ever happened."

Gruber tells us he's been clean and sober for three years, and that he's studying to become a firefighter. He's also writing a book. He says his time with Calvin Klein is just one chapter.

Take a look at more stories and videos by the ABC7 News I-Team.