No Thank You, Mr. Mezger
To My Supporters:
Do you want to see what exercising your First Amendment right looks like? This is a video of my next door neighbor, Jeffrey Mezger, the CEO of @KBHOME. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNYN1Au-ogk&t=4s)
We, of course, did not call the Police on his grandchildren! Look, I feel a responsibility. “Oh Kathy, just drop it, life’s too short.” But I realized it’s not just about me. Plus, the Mezgers are suing ME and Randy and are seeking damages of a million + dollars! Randy and I are the defendants. The defendants can’t drop a case.
To be clear, it IS permissible for me to speak publicly about an ongoing civil case. Why post now? I have questions. Why did he have to invoke the president’s name?? Ok, maybe that part was about me. But it is the other communities I am advocating for. Why did he call me a “bald dyke”? Did he know that just two days earlier my sister Joyce passed away from a long, brutal battle with cancer? I shaved my head in solidarity with her, as so many of you have who are touched by cancer. Did he call other people dealing with chemotherapy bald? I have made a $5K donation to The American Cancer Society. If you’d like to donate, there’s a link at the end of this essay.
As a proud ally of the LGBTQ community, I have to wonder how many other women have been called a “dyke” by Mezger and have not had the resources or platform to stand up for themselves? I’ve made a 12K donation to The Trevor Project, link at the end of this essay.
How many women has he called “cunts”, “bitches” and “let’s declare war….’cause we’ve got a lot to go for”? I don’t know. So many brave women have spoken out, I need to honor them. I’ve made a 5K donation to Time’s Up. Link at end of essay. How many women have been scared into silence or spent to death because men like Mezger found them inconvenient?
During a public four day temporary restraining order hearing in open court Mr Mezger said, under oath, that he didn’t consider “dyke” to be a negative word to call a gay woman!
I have a long history and body of work which has been shining a light on all kinds of issues and speaking truth to power. Can you imagine me, of all people, staying silent about harassment and threats? Nope. Time’s Up.
Another reason to take on a Goliath like a powerful CEO? I am living in a home I love and I busted my butt for decades to be able to buy it. I want to enjoy it! Jeffrey Mezger is the CEO of @KBHOME, a public company that is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. KB Home builds homes and is one of the largest homebuilders in the country. The company has likely earned millions in revenue every year and has thousands of employees. (http://investor.kbhome.com/corporate-governance/management)
Yes, I’m a comic who tells inappropriate jokes and wildly high-larious stories on stage, but at home, I’m kinda boring. I want my home to be a sanctuary. I think your home should be whatever you want it to be, as long as you’re not bothering anyone else. Who the hell wants to be in a fight with their neighbors? Not me. If you’re wondering why Randy and I called the police… Without going into too much detail, in my opinion, the Mezgers have been the nosiest, loudest, most adversarial neighbors I have ever had. Jeffrey Mezger, in particular.
The decision to make a noise complaint with the LAPD did not spring out of nowhere. As you know, I’m not looking to be on TMZ, so it had to be really bad for me to call the LAPD. I don’t want to waste the LAPD’s time or taxpayer dollars.
I was terrified. I truly had no idea what he was capable of doing. I feared for my safety. The police arrived and spoke to Mezger about the noise. Before the LAPD had even driven away, Mr. Mezger went right to his backyard and that’s when his misogynistic rage and homophobic slurs started. It was captured on my simple NEST security camera located outside my bedroom door. You hear me calling for Randy because it was the dark of night. I didn’t know where Randy was or if he was ok. It was highly unlike him to not answer or come to my side. I feared the worst.
It turns out Randy wasn’t even in the house. He was outside the house still speaking with the officer. When I ran out the front door, they saw me quite panicked. We invited the officer in and shared the video with him.
Here is a screenshot of the video to illustrate how close Mezger is. See the arrow in red of where his property line is and see the green arrow which is the entrance to my bedroom?
Since that night, I feel less safe IN my home than out of my home. I filed for a restraining order and was granted a temporary one. When I attempted to get a permanent restraining order, after a public hearing, in my opinion, the judge denied my request because Mezger didn’t put his hands on me. Seven months later, on July 19, 2018, I exercised my First Amendment right again and played the full tape, the same one you have heard today, for the audience at one of my shows at The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
Jeffrey T. Mezger and Sandra Mezger filed this lawsuit the next day. Why did I play it? Hello? It’s part of my narrative. I’ve built a life and career based on telling stories ripped from my life, warts and all. Real and raw. To the best supporters in the world. This tape is as real as it gets. The Mezgers have “demanded a jury trial” which is scheduled for the Fall in LA Superior Court. In response, I have countersued the Mezgers. My Cross- Complaint states that I am seeking $50,001.00 in compensatory damages, of which $50,000 will be donated to the Times Up Legal Defense Fund and just $1 will go to me. One dollar.
In my honest opinion, this isn’t about two people fighting over the size of the yard or a neighbor nuisance suit: it’s about intimidation. I’m standing up for the LGBTQ community, the cancer community and the respect I have for all women and girls everywhere and every place.
You all have been so good to me, especially in this last year and seven months. I’m so grateful I got to do a genuine worldwide comedy tour, all because of you guys! I appreciate it more than you can ever know. I love you and thank you.
Look, if the White House, the Department of Justice, which investigated me for two months, and a continuing drum beat from the far right filled with threats of all kinds, hasn’t silenced me from telling my truth then I CAN sure as hell stand up to yet another powerful CEO who seems to feel emboldened enough to behave this way.
I remember my Mom, Maggie telling me, “If you have to stand up to bullies Kathleen, do it, even if you’re shakin’ in your boots.” As my Dad would’ve said, “These types of guys have had a long run at this. Stand up, Dolly! If you can’t stand up for something, then sit down!” I choose to stand up. And I’m not shaking.
Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund Donation Link: https://nwlc.org/times-up-legal-defense-fund/
Trevor Project Donation Link: https://give.thetrevorproject.org/give/63307/#!/donation/checkout
