A Malibu socialite has become embroiled in a bitter spat with her billionaire neighbor after she allegedly chopped down his hedge to boost the price of her $125 million mansion, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Energy drink entrepreneur Diana Jenkins, a friend of Kim Kardashian West, ordered gardeners to ‘trespass’ on property belonging to her neighbor Jan Koum, the founder of WhatsApp, to tear down a boundary hedge that she claimed was obstructing her ocean view of Paradise Cove, court papers reveal.
When Koum’s security guard intervened and asked the gardeners to stop, Jenkins – the ex-wife of famed British financier Roger ‘Big Dog’ Jenkins, who was at one time ranked among the world’s highest-paid bankers – engaged in aggressive, racially prejudiced ‘Karen’-type behavior against the African-American man, the suit claims.
She threatened to call the police on the black guard because he was ‘in violation of the code’, according to the court papers.
‘Jenkins immediately launched into a tirade, claiming that she had just paid $10,000 to have those hedges trimmed,’ the lawsuit states.
‘She said she would not tell or allow them (the gardeners) to stop working unless the Property’s owner agreed to reimburse her immediately.’
Diana Jenkins, a friend of Kim Kardashian West (pictured together), is being sued by her neighbor Jan Koum, the founder of WhatsApp, DailyMail.com can reveal
Jenkins ordered gardeners to ‘trespass’ on property belonging to Koum, the founder of WhatsApp, to tear down a boundary hedge that she claimed was obstructing her ocean view of Paradise Cove, court papers reveal. Pictured: Chopped down hedges between the neighbor’s properties
Jenkins’ gardeners eventually lopped the trees and hedges in half in some places, reducing the 20ft tall hedge to nine or 10 feet
This May, Jenkins listed the mansion for $125M, which Koum claims her intention all along was to cut down the hedges for an ocean view to boost the home’s price
The Bosnia-born socialite, whose home sits in an exclusive area of Malibu, told security guard Kenneth Nelson the hedges were too tall and implied she had a right to chop them down to 6ft high, during the incident on September 9, 2019.
But when the guard said he needed to confirm with his management company, 47-year-old Jenkins again rebuffed him by saying she would not let the gardeners stop work.
According to the lawsuit, filed by powerhouse Los Angeles lawyer Adam Streisand, Jenkins ‘threw a fit’, demanded Nelson call his supervisor and threatened to call the police to the scene three more times.
When Nelson’s supervisor Grant Buben arrived, Jenkins claimed that by stopping her, the men were ‘breaking the law’ and she threatened to call the cops for a fifth time.
The lawsuit states: ‘Agent Buben said he didn’t think the situation needed to come to that and that he wanted to try to resolve things informally.’
Buben offered to put Jenkins in touch with his boss and property owner Koum, asking for her cell phone number, which she gave him.
He said he’d run the issue up his chain of command and get the situation resolved as soon as possible, but asked her not to cut any more trees down in the meantime.
Believing that Jenkins had agreed to hold off, Buben left. At that point, the suit states, Jenkins directed her gardeners to continue hacking down the trees and hedges with chainsaws.
Jenkins’ gardeners lopped the trees and hedges in half in some places, reducing the 20ft tall hedge to nine or 10 feet.
Photos included as exhibits in the suit show how Jenkins’ view from her stunning home was much improved after the work.
Jenkins, who has previously been quoted as saying, ‘Money is a wonderful thing. I love to earn it, and I love to spend it,’ snapped up the bluff top property in 2005 for $21 million, records reveal.
When Koum’s security guard intervened and asked the gardeners to stop, Jenkins engaged in aggressive, racially prejudiced ‘Karen’-type behavior against the African-American man, the suit claims. She threatened to call the police on the black guard because he was ‘in violation of the code’, according to the court papers. Pictured: Jenkins’ gardeners on Koum’s property
Photos included as exhibits in the suit show how Jenkins’ view from her stunning home was much improved after the work (pictured)
The Bosnia-born socialite, whose home sits in the exclusive Paradise Cove area of Malibu, told security guard Kenneth Nelson the hedges were too tall and implied she had a right to chop them down to 6ft high, during the incident on September 9, 2019
Jenkins’ gardeners eventually lopped the trees and hedges in half in some places, reducing the 20ft tall hedge to nine or 10 feet (pictured)
Jenkins snapped up the bluff top property in 2005 for $21 million, records reveal. Pictured: Jenkins’ home with access to the beach
She listed the property this year on May 29 for an eye-watering $125 million, an almost $100 million profit.
Koum’s attorneys believe that was her intention the whole time from the incident last September.
‘It appears that she intends to use the newly-improved view as a major selling point,’ the suit states, adding: ‘In addition, it is now evident that Jenkins plans to stiff Plaintiffs and dump this problem on whomever is unfortunate enough to purchase her home.’
Koum – who last year bought his large compound from NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer, whose daughter Jennifer was married to Spiderman actor Tobey Maguire, for $100 million in cash – was told about the incident later that same day and the following day the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department was called out to investigate.
Two Sheriff’s deputies arrived at Koum’s home and spoke with Buben who took them to see the damage to the hedge.
While they were there, the deputies heard Jenkins in her garden and asked if they could come to speak with her – she refused.
‘The Deputies tried to interview Jenkins by yelling over the hedge,’ the suit states. ‘As Jenkins spoke, Agent Buben overheard her tell the Deputies a completely fictitious version of what happened the day before.
‘Specifically, Jenkins claimed that she was approached by four armed men who ”scream(ed) at her” and told her to stop cutting immediately or else they would call the police. Jenkins claimed she stopped cutting immediately. She also claimed that, when she asked who would repay the $10,000 that she spent for the hedge trimming, the ”four armed men said they would pay (her) so (she) happily stopped cutting for the day”.’
Jenkins then alleged the four men continued to ‘harass’ her and were ‘extremely mean’.
Suspicious of the inconsistent claims, the deputies quizzed Jenkins further.
On September 10, lawyers for Koum sent a cease-and-desist letter to Jenkins and to Corona’s Tree Service, Inc, who carried out the work, to prevent any further damage to the trees on the tycoon’s $100 million property
Koum (left) bought his large compound last year from NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer, whose daughter Jennifer was married to Spiderman actor Tobey Maguire, for $100 million in cash. Jenkins is the ex-wife of famed British financier Roger ‘Big Dog’ Jenkins (right), who was at one time ranked among the world’s highest-paid bankers
Jenkins launched an energy drink business called Neuro, which sells flavored beverages that have been endorsed by her friend Kim Kardashian West (pictured) and have become a regular in Target, Walmart and gas stations around the country
‘Jenkins complained that the Property was owned by a man, that Agents Nelson and Buben were men, and that now, two male Deputies were harassing her and being sexist,’ the suit states.
The deputies offered to conduct the interview in a more peaceful setting and asked Jenkins for her number, but she refused. They returned to Koum’s home.
Then, the suit states, at around 5pm Jenkins arrived at the front gate of Koum’s home and after speaking with a housekeeper, managed to ‘berate her way onto the Property’.
Jenkins was swiftly met by security and the Sheriff’s deputies.
‘Jenkins immediately launched into a tirade, yelling at the Deputies and telling them that this whole situation was ”bulls**t” and that she had been ”stabbed in the back”,’ the paperwork states.
‘Upon seeing Agent Buben, Jenkins physically charged at him as though she intended to strike him.
‘Continuing her modus operandi of threatening to make false allegations, Jenkins screamed at Agent Buben and said that she would ruin his life by ”call(ing) the press and report(ing) him and everything he had done”.’
Buben then asked the deputies to escort Jenkins off the property.
On September 10, lawyers for Koum sent a cease-and-desist letter to Jenkins and to Corona’s Tree Service, Inc, who carried out the work, to prevent any further damage to the trees on the tycoon’s $100 million property.
The businesswoman also ignored a settlement agreement later sent to her to resolve the matter with a preliminary cost estimate of $69,850 to replace the trees.
The dispute didn’t stop there, however.
On January 30 this year Jenkins was accused of ‘surreptitiously’ installing a drainage pipe on Koum’s property without asking permission.
Lawyers for Koum, 44, again slapped her with a cease-and-desist letter and asked her to remove the pipe, reimburse Koum for the damaged hedges and refrain from causing further damage.
But Jenkins ignored the legal request until March when her legal counsel finally became involved, but the socialite still wouldn’t accept responsibility.
Jenkins told the Wall Street Journal that she’s selling her Malibu compound because her two children recently graduated from high school
She also said she wants to leave California behind in favor of her native Sarajevo, Bosnia, where her parents live
‘This house has been holding me back,’ she told the paper. ‘I should have gone back a while ago’
Lawyers for Koum now believe that Jenkins is selling her home before she can be found liable for any damages in the dispute
On January 30 this year Jenkins was accused of ‘surreptitiously’ installing a drainage pipe on Koum’s property without asking permission
Jenkins ignored the legal request until March when her legal counsel finally became involved, but the socialite still wouldn’t accept responsibility
The 3,800 sq ft seven bedroom home sits on three acres, has a separate two bed guest house, swimming pools, a waterfall and koi pond, a sports court, and now much improved views over the Pacific Ocean
Lawyers for Koum now believe that Jenkins is selling her home before she can be found liable for any damages in the dispute.
Koum, co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp before it was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for $19.3 billion, is suing Jenkins for undisclosed damages and injunctive relief.
Jenkins divorced her banker ex Roger Jenkins in 2011 and reportedly was given $150 million in the amicable split.
Her ex, a former executive at Barclays, was recently acquitted in a high-profile fraud trial in the UK related to payments made by Barclays to Qatar during the credit crisis.
After the split Jenkins launched an energy drink business called Neuro, which sells flavored beverages that have been endorsed by her friend Kim Kardashian West and have become a regular in Target, Walmart and gas stations around the country.
In March 2018, Kim posted a sexy shot of her lying on the beach during a shoot to promote Jenkins’ Neuro drink.
She wrote: ‘A big thank you to my friend Diana Jenkins @drinkneuro for letting us use your amazing home & stocking us with the best Neuro drinks all day!!!’
In 2009, Jenkins also released a coffee table book called Room 23, which features never-before-seen photos of 100 celebrities, including her friends Cindy Crawford, Elton John and George Clooney.
Jenkins told the Wall Street Journal that she’s selling her Malibu compound because her two children recently graduated from high school, and she wants to leave California behind in favor of her native Sarajevo, Bosnia, where her parents live.
‘This house has been holding me back,’ she told the paper. ‘I should have gone back a while ago.’
The 3,800 sq ft seven bedroom home sits on three acres, has a separate two bed guest house, swimming pools, a waterfall and koi pond, a sports court, and now much improved views over the Pacific Ocean.