You are most likely to have been an audience to “The Howard Stern show” or “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Well, if not, then you may have heard of “The Stuttering John podcast” or Stuttering John, the man behind these popular broadcast shows. Stuttering John, whose real name is John Melendez has become a household name owing to the massive popularity of his plays, but still, there is a lot about him that is yet to be known. How well do you this celebrity? Here are more facts about him.
1. He prank-called The White House
White House is one of the places one would least expect to extend their pranks or jokes considering the consequences associated with such actions. All the same, the daring comedian bypassed the president’s security protocol and reached Mr. Trump through the phone. He disguised himself as Robert Menendez, New Jersey’s Senator. In his conversation with President Donald Trump, he raised a concern about the immigration policies that led to the separation of migrant families at the Southwest border. Besides, he sought Mr. Trump’s opinion on his choice for the successor of Justice Antony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court. From a comical perspective, Mendelez may have gone to greater extents to pull this off. His actions earned him visitation by secret service agents to his residence, as narrated by New York Daily News. He revealed that through the prank, he showed how it is easy to infiltrate the White House which should have prompted the security to be increased.
2. He is divorced
Having been married to Suzanna Keller in 1997, the couple filed for a divorce in 2011 and later parted ways in 2012. From the marriage to Suzanna, John has three children. Stuttering John had had his fair share of what comes with marriage. Three years later, after his divorce, he went ahead and shared a heartfelt tweet on his handle saying although divorce is tough, the only thing more painful is marriage. This kind of perspective could justify why he is reluctant to give marriage another try after his divorce with Suzanna. Probably he seems to be at peace and comfortable with his current relationship status. There is not much speculation to who might be engaged to at the moment as he keeps a low profile on matters about his family.
3. He is an actor
Although Melendez is widely known for his active role in hosting radio shows, many people may not know that he has been in the acting scenes too. According to IMDb, he is taking credit for being an actor for almost sixteen movies and TV series some of which are “Famously Afraid” and “Wings.” In addition, he also gets credit for being a reality cast member in “I’m a Celebrity — Get me out of here!” In the film “One, Two, Many,” stuttering John plays as Tom, a lad whose desire is to find a girlfriend who will fulfill his dream to have a threesome. he is also the lead and producer of the movie.
4. He is an author
“Easy for you to Say” is John’s memoir of his childhood in which he narrates getting bullied at school for his stammering. In the book, he covers his days on air with Howard Stern, as well as his career as a writer and announcer for Jay Leno’s show. He also sheds light on his unique interview style with various celebrities. Melendez’s interview with Raquel Welch stands out among others in his memoir since he nurtured a way of ambushing celebrities with awkward and outrageous questions. He admitted to the Las Vegas Review-Journal to being punched in the face by Raquel for asking, “Are they drooping?” He however brushes off the incident by arguing that she was only showcasing her Karate skills.
5. He was listed among famous people in Stuttering Foundation
The Stuttering Foundation was founded by Malcolm Fraser in 1947. Its goal is to provide the best and current information which is availed to help prevent stuttering in young children. Information is also used to seek the most effective treatment available for teenagers and adults. John is on the organizations’ list of famous people who stutter and had a chance to address people in July 2007 during a workshop for the National Stuttering Association. He is an inspiration for other stutters since he has risen to be a celebrated musician, actor, and comedian despite being a stammerer.
6. He interned at Howard Stern Radio
Before rising to be an on-air contributor for “The Howard Stern Show,” John was an intern. He interviewed celebrities, asking quite awkward questions while stuttering. He got his internship at the show through his roommate, who recommended him while he was quitting. The show’s director notified Howard Stern of Melendez’s stuttering, and he got hired immediately.
7. He is a songwriter
Many would-be astonished by the fact that “Stuttering John” is a songwriter yet John has an entire album to his name. His desire to make music dates back to when he was five years old. At that tender age he already started writing songs, and in high school he got himself a guitar and formed his first band. Landing a record deal with Atlantic Records has been a more significant stride in his musical journey. John did a song titled “I don’t like you either” jointly with his musical idol Joe Walsh.
8. His son was born on New Year’s Day
John’s son, Oscar, was expected later in January, 2006 but he had to be delivered through a C-section on New Year’s Day at 12.27 am. His ex-wife said that the son was following in his father’s footsteps by seeking the limelight while John joked that with three children to feed, he might need to ask Jay Leno for a raise.
9. He was verbally abused by Howard Stern
Although John became a celebrated comedian, sometimes he took his jokes a bit too far and Howard did not hide his rage. Therefore while one day Howard would laugh at John’s jokes, the next he would remind John that he was nothing without Howard. Howard further called him a loser whose only job was to stutter so it is no surprise that in 2004, John left Howard Stern.
10. He suffers from OCD
John’s stutter is associated with the anxiety disorder and he admitted that all his kids got diagnosed with OCD too.
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