David Geffen is facing a major lawsuit from his estranged husband, Donovan Michaels, who has just exposed various details of their relationship in court documents.
Michaels, 32, worked as a go-go dancer before meeting Geffen. According to his lawsuit, the two connected on a matchmaking website where Michaels claims powerful figures sought out vulnerable people like himself. He goes on to allege that on their first night meeting, Geffen offered him $10,000 to have sex.
Michaels filed under his legal name, David Armstrong, and in the filing, he claims that Geffen pushed him further down the rabbit hole, changing who he once was into someone molded by Geffen. The famous music executive allegedly was overly critical of Michaels, refusing to accept even a single ingrown hair or any lapse in body hygiene that did not meet his standards.
In the filings, Geffen is accused of ensuring Michaels was “plied” with drugs such as cocaine, molly, and cannabis, which Geffen insisted on using in the presence of his A-list friends. Michaels further alleges that Geffen made him undergo painful laser and dental treatments.
The two married in 2023, notably without a prenuptial agreement. In his filing, Michaels claims that Geffen used his tragic childhood as a “grooming tool.” Having grown up in the foster system, Michaels alleges that Geffen played the role of a white knight, offering him support and “parading” him around his wealthy A-list friends as evidence of his altruism. Geffen, who was famously a savior figure in Cher’s acrimonious breakup with Sonny, allegedly repeated this pattern with Michaels.
However, after they married, Michaels claims Geffen turned him into what he now describes as a “paid sex worker” instead of a spouse, as they traveled the world together. Michaels alleges that Geffen often involved other sex workers in their “sexually-open marital” arrangement. Given this, Diddy’s recent controversial ruling could potentially set a precedent unfavorable to Geffen.
In May, Geffen filed for divorce, and while en route to Jeff Bezos’ controversial wedding in Venice, he allegedly ordered Michaels to vacate his New York City residence and cut him off financially. Now, Michaels is seeking damages and a home from Geffen, as well as “adequate support” to sustain a reasonable standard of living for the rest of his life.
Page Six reports that Geffen’s attorney has denied all the allegations, dismissing the lawsuit as “pathetic.” Geffen’s attorney argues there was no “expressed, written, or oral” contract during the marriage suggesting Geffen would continue to support Michaels in the event of a dissolution of their short-lived union.
David Geffen’s net worth is estimated to be north of $9 billion, and he was once considered one of the most powerful gay men in America. He made his fortune in the 1970s, famously releasing a John Lennon solo album without even hearing it first, and has had an illustrious career and a respected private life, often noted as one of the biggest donors to humanitarian causes. But this lawsuit — no matter how it ends — will certainly leave an asterisk on the 82-year-old’s legacy.
