The ‘toyboy’ ex-boyfriend of fashion icon Calvin Klein has been accused of being a drug-dealing ‘nightmare’ roommate from hell.
Nick Gruber captured tabloid headlines more than a decade ago during his two-year relationship with Klein, but admitted the high-profile dating breakup left him “chasing the lights” of fame and “haunted” by drugs. .
Her landlord, Richard Jones, affected by Parkinson’s disease, told her ABC7 The problems began during the pandemic when he and his husband Alfonso Monreal rented a room to help them with bills and met Gruber.
They said that although Gruber seemed “nice” and “polite” at first, 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) took in Calvin Klein’s ex-boyfriend as a tenant in their home during the pandemic, which they said quickly became a ‘nightmare’
Calvin Klein’s former boytoy Nick Gruber (pictured together in 2011) dated the fashion icon for two years starting in 2010, and their 48-year age difference made tabloid headlines.
Gruber dated Klein for two years starting in 2010 and it was the fashion legend’s first openly gay relationship. Their meeting was often documented in the media, especially due to their 48-year age difference.
He worked as a model for a time, but admitted that after the end of their relationship, he was still “chasing the lights” of fame, which led to a partying lifestyle that included several arrests, including assaulting someone with a pan and steal drugs. .
“And after the breakup, the drugs followed me a little bit and followed me over the years, and it was something I had to deal with,” Gruber recalled.
In 2021, Jones met Gruber through friends while renting a room in his Santa Rosa home, and the former ‘boytoy’ moved there shortly after.
However, Jones said her quiet neighborhood soon became swarmed with cars and men passing by her house at all hours of the night.
Neighbors told ABC7 they assumed the strange activity was drug-related, but had no evidence until police were called in 2021 about a landlord-tenant dispute at the home.
While the exact nature of the dispute is unclear, Santa Rosa police discovered that Gruber was on probation for a previous drug arrest, meaning they were able to conduct a warrantless search of his property.
Jones broke down in tears as he recalled the ordeal of living with Gruber, which he said exacerbated his Parkinson’s disease symptoms and left him “very emotional.”
Police were called to the home in 2021 following a dispute and executed a warrantless search when officers discovered Gruber was on probation. The interior of Gruber’s room is shown during the search.
In Gruber’s portion of the home, officers found a locked safe hidden with a semi-automatic firearm, nine pounds of methamphetamine 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 hidden with a semi-automatic firearm, nine pounds of methamphetamine 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 “middleman” in the “pharmaceutical industry.”
“I would just call the customer and then contact the person who is the supplier and work out the arrangements,” he said.
Gruber was arrested following the search and charged with possession for sale of a controlled substance, excess 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 problems for Jones and Monreal.
Following Gruber’s release in 2023, the former model located the couple at their new home in Oakland, California, and demanded that Jones return all belongings she left behind while behind bars.
This week, Gruber said he “regretted” his role in the saga and admitted it “should never have happened.”
Gruber admitted he was still “chasing the lights” of fame after his relationship with Klein ended in 2012, and said he was “haunted” by drugs in the years afterward.
Gruber, speaking with ABC7 this week, insisted that as owners, the couple had “a duty and obligation to protect my property.”
Jones responded that he followed his attorney’s advice by sending Gruber an eviction notice and a letter warning him that he would get rid of his property if he didn’t collect.
“I waited six months for him to show up and he never showed up,” he said, adding that he later donated Gruber’s belongings to the Mormon Church.
Gruber claims these possessions included a variety of luxury items, including two Prada suits valued at $10,000, a Rolex watch, and a custom Calvin Klein desk valued at more than $10,000.
Upon learning that these items were donated, Gruber filed a lawsuit against Jones for $182,000 to cover the value of the items and another $233,000 in damages.
Gruber was photographed leaving court in Manhattan following an unrelated arrest in 2019, where he was accused of assaulting someone with a frying pan.
When Gruber failed to produce receipts for the lavish purchases, a judge rejected his claims, but still ruled in Gruber’s favor and held Jones liable for $8,683.
Now facing the legal bill, Jones said he is broke and can’t pay it, and said the stress of his confrontation with Gruber has aggravated his Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
“I’m very emotional because it affects me a lot and I still have to fight and have memories of what I went through,” Jones said through tears.
Gruber admitted that he regrets his role in the saga’s sad conclusion, saying, “I sincerely apologize… I mean, it shouldn’t end that way, 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.
