David Geffen’s husband, from whom he is separated, has unexpectedly withdrawn his lawsuit against the wealthy media executive.
David Geffen, 82, is going through a difficult and public split from his partner, 32-year-old Donovan Michaels (also known as David Armstrong). Michaels, a former dancer, recently filed a lawsuit against Geffen claiming he broke their agreement, and the details in the suit have drawn a lot of attention.
In the lawsuit, Michaels claimed that Geffen manipulated him using a combination of charm, control, false promises of affection, and extravagant gifts, leading to a damaging pattern of reliance, obedience, and embarrassment.
One of the most surprising things Michaels revealed was that Geffen allegedly made him get laser hair removal, and once became extremely angry about an ingrown hair.
They first connected in 2016 on the website SeekingArrangements.com and got married in 2023. Surprisingly, they didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement, which is unusual considering Geffen’s estimated net worth of $8.7 billion according to Forbes.
According to court filings obtained by Daily Mail, Jamie Lynn Spears’ lawyer, Bryan Freedman—who also represents Justin Baldoni in his case against Blake Lively—has requested the lawsuit be dismissed for now. This means the case isn’t permanently closed and can be brought back to court again in the future.
Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from Freedman or Geffen.
Regarding the financial disagreements, Michaels has previously asserted his right to shared marital assets. However, Freedman told TMZ on Tuesday that these issues will be worked out through mediation.
According to TMZ, recent court documents reveal that David Geffen is offering to pay up to $50,000 per month in spousal support, but this offer is limited to one year and depends on him receiving credit for previous payments.
He’s certainly been spending money: court documents show Geffen has already given her $200,000 in cash since they separated in February, another $200,000 to cover rehab costs, and is also paying for a $15,000-a-month apartment in Manhattan, according to the source.
According to court documents filed in July, Michael stated the divorce, initiated by Geffen in May, wasn’t simply the result of a disagreement.
He claimed the situation stemmed from a powerful, wealthy white gay man taking advantage of a young, vulnerable Black gay man, believing he could act with impunity.
According to a 33-page legal document, the couple’s seemingly perfect relationship actually hid a deliberate pattern of abuse and exploitation.
In a legal filing, Michaels stated that while in Florida, he became involved with exotic dancing and adult films. To support himself, he joined SeekingArrangements.com, a website where people seek relationships that are beneficial to both parties. It was there that Geffen contacted him and quickly expressed interest in meeting him face-to-face.
According to a lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail, David Geffen reportedly paid Scott Michaels $10,000 for sexual activity when they initially met in 2016. The lawsuit claims this led to a romantic relationship that began as a paid arrangement.
According to the legal complaint, Geffen expressed his love for Michaels, and they decided to be life partners. They agreed to share everything they owned equally, and Geffen committed to providing lifelong financial support to Michaels.
According to the lawsuit, Michaels sacrificed his personal ambitions—including his modeling work and freedom—to fully commit to this agreement.
The lawsuit claims that last month, while David Geffen was hosting a party on his yacht in Venice for the Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding, he told Michaels to leave their New York home right away, potentially leaving him homeless.
According to the lawsuit, while the plaintiffs were facing hardship, Geffen was enjoying a lavish party in Venice, Italy, with some of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
Geffen reportedly stopped providing financial help to Michaels, leaving him unable to find stable housing or afford essential living costs.
The lawsuit claims that, beyond removing Michaels from his home, Geffen also stopped providing him with financial assistance, leaving him unable to find a place to live or afford basic needs.
Despite publicly presenting himself as a generous philanthropist whose foundation donates heavily to organizations helping the homeless and those in need, Geffen is actively working to leave Michaels financially ruined and without a home.
Honestly, it wasn’t just about what Michael said about how things ended – it was the details he shared about their whole relationship that completely blew my mind. Some of the stuff he alleged was just… shocking. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, it painted such a different picture of everything!
According to the lawsuit, Geffen continued to seek ways to dominate and control Michael’s actions.
Geffen deliberately undermined Michael’s confidence by constantly criticizing his background and perceived lack of refinement. He belittled Michael and exerted tight control over his personal appearance and cleanliness.
The wealthy music executive allegedly demanded his former partner receive ‘extreme and painful’ procedures to meet his standards of ‘perfection.’
According to the lawsuit, Geffen made Michaels endure numerous, agonizing laser and dental procedures. The complaint states that even small imperfections, like an ingrown hair, could anger Geffen and lead to a stream of demands for correction.
Michaels said he was deeply impressed by David Geffen, a generous supporter of charities, when they first met nine years ago. He recalled sharing difficulties from his challenging childhood, and Geffen seemed to understand and connect with him.
In his lawsuit, Michaels stated that he shared deeply personal details with Geffen, including the difficult experiences of his childhood in the Michigan foster care system, his feelings of not having a stable family, and his past legal troubles.
He explained that he was being honest, not to get pity from Geffen, but because he thought Geffen was the first person who truly understood him and might even be sympathetic.
Michaels accused his future husband of exploiting his emotional weaknesses to satisfy personal desires, specifically alleging that this happened on the night they first met and involved a financially beneficial exchange.
The dancer, who used to be a model, alleged that Geffen didn’t offer Michael Jackson real help after his difficult experiences. Instead, she claims he exploited Jackson’s pain by positioning himself as a rescuer, a guide, and someone who could offer a better future, essentially manipulating him.
The man accused David Geffen of treating him like a personal object, both sexually and as a means to showcase Geffen’s generosity to his influential friends.
According to the legal filing, Geffen then started paying Michaels to travel with him internationally for sexual services.
According to the documents, Michaels alleged the wealthy man treated him like a personal experiment, displaying him to his friends as an act of charity when it wasn’t.
According to documents filed in September by David Geffen, and overseen by prominent divorce attorney Laura Wasser, Geffen says he’s made significant efforts to resolve the dispute over spousal support. However, mediation failed, and he alleges that his ex-partner is attempting to damage his reputation through negative press coverage.
As a longtime observer, I remember everyone pointing out that he was already 80 and fully retired when he got married. That meant, really, there wasn’t any shared property accumulated during their quick, almost two-year marriage. It was a key point he made to the court, and honestly, it was pretty clear to anyone paying attention.
According to TMZ, David Geffen has filed a request with the court to be officially declared single.
He stated the marriage was definitely beyond repair and expressed a strong desire to divorce quickly.
Geffen and Michaels reportedly tied the knot quietly in Beverly Hills.
Only a few weeks after that, Geffen and his partner were seen arriving in Manhattan by helicopter, and Geffen was wearing a wedding ring. This was the first public sign that they had officially gotten married.
But Michaels has a past that’s anything but polished.
According to The New York Post, he’s built his career by working a series of temporary jobs and networking within the New York City modeling scene.
Oh my gosh, you won’t believe this! I just found out our incredible Michaels – yes, the Michaels – wasn’t always Michaels! Apparently, he was born David Armstrong in a tiny little town in Michigan. A friend told me he grew up with thirteen siblings! Thirteen! Can you imagine? It’s amazing to think where he came from – such humble beginnings for someone so unbelievably talented.
By 2014, when he relocated to Florida, he had legally changed his name to Brandon Foster. He then started a career as a dancer and promoter at gay clubs in Miami.
According to friends, he was often seen with attractive men and regularly attended nude swimming parties.
He frequently posted shirtless photos on social media, showcasing his physique. One post from that year announced he’d be performing online for paying viewers, promising a ‘good show’ for those who subscribed.
Sometime between 2016 and 2017 he moved to New York City and started going by Donovan Michaels.
An ex-girlfriend stated he had only dated women as far as she knew, but she wasn’t shocked by the possibility he might also date men.
She told The Post that he was very handsome. He mentioned people often thought he was interested in men based on his Instagram posts.
I was told he was receiving compliments – specifically, that gay men found him very attractive and physically fit.
According to a friend, Michael marrying Geffen wouldn’t be a shock. They said he’s constantly seeking new experiences and is very motivated to better himself.
David Geffen publicly came out as gay in 1992, ending years of speculation fueled by his relationships with several famous women, such as Cher.
This wasn’t David Geffen’s first relationship with a much younger partner. In 2012, at age 69, he ended a six-year relationship with Jeremy Lingvall, who was 41 at the time.
In 2012, the music executive also had a relationship with Jamie Kuntz, a 20-year-old former college football player, and briefly obtained a restraining order against him.
Early in his career, David Geffen started Asylum Records and helped launch the careers of major artists like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and the Eagles.
He went on to establish Geffen Records, a label that became known for launching the careers of major artists like Elton John, Cher, Aerosmith, Blink-182, Guns N’ Roses, and Nirvana.
Along with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in the 1990s.
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2025-10-21 22:03