From High-Flying Event Planner to Homeless and On the Lam: Eever Norman's Remarkable Journey to Redemption
Eever Norman, once a prominent event planner for the prestigious W Hotels and a key organizer of Fashion Week, faced a dramatic fall from grace. By 2014, he was battling addiction, homelessness, and evading law enforcement. In a surprising turn of events, Norman leveraged his industry expertise and fashion flair to seek refuge in some of New York City's most opulent hotels, including The Plaza, St. Regis, and The Waldorf.
However, fate eventually led him to a suite in Rikers Island, an experience that the now 53-year-old credits with saving his life. "I was headed downhill fast. If the judge hadn’t sent me to Rikers I might not be alive," Norman shared with The Post.
A native of Oregon, Norman had fulfilled his dream of working as a contractor at Fashion Week in Manhattan for eight years, spanning from 2004 to 2012, as part of the hotel chain's sponsorship. Yet, an addiction to methamphetamines led to his blacklisting from the event, following allegations of selling front-row seats to questionable individuals for $500 each.
"They said, 'If you’re going to bring people to Fashion Week and have them sit in the front row please have them look less like prostitutes,'" Norman recalled.
Over subsequent months, he lost his finances and his Midtown apartment, becoming a fugitive after missing court dates related to charges of embezzlement, credit card fraud, forgery, and grand larceny, according to documents.
Recalling a bitter January night in 2014, Norman sought shelter at the St. Regis Hotel in Midtown. "I still had an overnight bag with me and it was a nice one and I looked decent," he recollected. "I walked right in." He spent nights in the hotel's Astor Library, utilizing pocket doors for privacy and charging his phone until the cleaning staff's arrival.
Norman's success emboldened him, leading to an eight-month stint of similar escapades in other five-star hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental and The Pierre. At the Mandarin, he utilized the luxurious spa facilities for personal grooming, while also finding solace in the men's bathrooms. At The Pierre, he concealed himself in the men's lounge's private stalls and occasionally sought refuge behind a curtain in the ballroom's chair storage space.
Yet, his charade came to an end as vigilant managers caught on to his actions. In the summer of 2014, Norman and another individual, grappling with addiction, secured a 10x10 space at a Manhattan mini-storage facility. Here, they had access to running water and electricity.
The party ended abruptly when Norman was apprehended for stealing a Vogue magazine and a can of soup from the Columbus Circle Whole Foods on Labor Day Weekend. During the encounter, law enforcement discovered multiple warrants for his arrest.
Transported to the Manhattan Detention Complex, Norman feigned suicidal tendencies in hopes of being transferred to a hospital and subsequently released. However, he found himself on a bus en route to Rikers, where the intake process was described as "pure insanity."
Norman's initial encounters with fellow inmates were tense, including an altercation with a formidable Latin Kings member known as Blitz. However, a surprising turn of events led to Blitz becoming a protector and confidant during Norman's time at Rikers.
Assuming the role of Blitz's secretary, Norman managed the drugs collected from inmates and organized various events within the facility. Referred to as "Ken doll," his fellow inmates believed him to be an actor.
Norman made three appearances before a judge, who eventually agreed to set bail. A month later, his aunt provided $10,000 for his release, leading to a sentence of five years probation and rehabilitation at Samaritan Village in Ellenville. Since then, he has maintained a drug-free lifestyle.
"Rikers was a scary place," admitted Norman, who now resides in Harlem and serves as a sober coach for affluent individuals throughout the city, in addition to working as a freelance event planner. "But in the end, in retrospect, that was the best thing that could have happened to me because it got me where I am today."
One of his former colleagues, Krissy Guttroff, former Director of Marketing at the W Hotels, expressed immense pride in Norman's transformation. "Seeing him now, he is my hero," she remarked. "I just can’t believe someone who went through everything he went through has turned out to be a mentor for others. He’s incredible."