‘Stuttering John’ Melendez Files Suit Against Podcasters Over Secret Recordings.

Radio and podcast personality “Stuttering John” Melendez has filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court against comedians Karl Heberger and Shuli Egar, alleging they secretly recorded his phone calls, exploited his likeness, and used his personal belongings as props to ridicule him for profit.

The 59-year-old Melendez, best known from his years on “The Howard Stern Show” and later as announcer for “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” claims the duo “illegally recorded private phone calls” with comedian Kate Meaney and used them as content for their podcast and live events, including last year’s “DabbleCon 2” fan gathering in Rochester.

According to the lawsuit, Heberger and Egar also trespassed on Melendez’s Los Angeles property and retrieved sofa cushions from his discarded furniture to display as a “comedic exhibit.” The complaint states the stunt was “clearly intended to ridicule plaintiff” and attract fans seeking a more personal connection, the New York Post reports.

Egar, who previously worked on Stern’s staff until 2020, and Heberger have denied the claims. Heberger called the filing “an asinine attempt at a money grab,” while Egar dismissed it as “a sad attempt from a sad man to make money.”

This is not Melendez’s first legal battle over use of his voice. In 2020, he sued SiriusXM for continuing to air Stern show content featuring him after his departure, but that case was unsuccessful.

After leaving Stern in 2004, Melendez joined Leno’s Tonight Show through 2014, later launching “The Stuttering John Podcast” in 2018. The podcast ended last year, but Melendez has remained active with stand-up shows and Cameo appearances.