The divorce between music and entertainment titan David Geffen and his much-younger ex-husband Donovan Michaels (aka David Armstrong) is rapidly unfolding into one of the most eye-opening legal dramas in Hollywood’s social elite—and this time, it’s not about the money. It’s about the power dynamics, the promises, and the pain allegedly left in their wake.
In a 33-page complaint filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Michaels is accusing the billionaire mogul of breaching a deeply personal contract—not just legal, but emotional. The document, laced with serious allegations, paints a chilling picture of a relationship that began not with romance, but with a transaction.
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According to Michaels’ court filing, Geffen treated him like “a living social experiment — a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence.” It’s an explosive claim aimed at one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful figures.
Geffen, 82, whose net worth is estimated at $9 billion by Forbes, co-founded DreamWorks SKG alongside Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg and is considered one of the most influential figures in American pop culture. But according to Michaels, the real story behind their relationship is far from red carpets and grand philanthropy.
The two didn’t meet by chance or through mutual circles. Michaels, now 32, says their first encounter was through the controversial website SeekingArrangements.com—a platform often associated with “sugar daddy” relationships. The complaint describes it as a place “where men like Geffen shop for the vulnerable.”
The lawsuit alleges that Geffen was made aware of Michaels’ traumatic upbringing, poverty, and legal troubles, and instead of offering authentic support, “saw Michaels as an object of exploitation: a young, attractive, gay Black man whose trauma could be weaponized for Geffen’s personal gratification and public image.”
Michaels, who entered foster care at just 18 months old, draws comparisons between his relationship and the plot of the 1983 film Trading Places, where an elite white executive and a an African-American hustler are unwitting pawns in a wealthy bet. In the filing, he refers to himself as the “young vulnerable Black man, orphaned as a toddler” who was drawn into the web of “an exploiter, masquerading as a white knight.”
The most jarring detail in the complaint might be this: Michaels alleges that Geffen paid him $10,000 for sex on their first night together in 2016. From there, the relationship allegedly evolved into something resembling a committed partnership—but with conditions that, according to Michaels, blurred the lines between affection and control.
He says Geffen promised a lifelong partnership—one in which they’d share assets equally and Geffen would support him financially for life. Michaels claims he gave up a budding modeling career and surrendered his independence to live up to those promises.
In 2023, the couple married without a prenuptial agreement, a move that, according to Michaels, solidified his belief in the relationship’s authenticity. But now, he alleges, that marriage was “nothing more than a transaction to Geffen”—a legal move cloaked in the illusion of love.
Behind the scenes of this emotional fallout are two legal heavyweights. Representing Geffen is Laura Wasser, a divorce attorney whose client list reads like a red carpet (think Kim Kardashian, Johnny Depp, and Angelina Jolie). Michaels, on the other hand, has retained Samantha Spector, another respected name in family law.
While Geffen has not publicly responded to the complaint, sources close to the case believe this lawsuit may be the result of months of private negotiations gone south, especially since the couple officially split in April 2024.
Though it’s unclear exactly what Michaels is seeking in terms of compensation, the lawsuit goes far beyond money. It’s about recognition, allegedly broken promises, and the emotional cost of what he claims was a carefully curated illusion of equality in a relationship marred by manipulation.
And with no prenup in place, Geffen’s fortune—and reputation—may be on the line.
For someone as famously private as David Geffen, this very public filing is likely to send tremors through elite social circles. While it remains to be seen how the court will rule, one thing is clear: this is not your typical Hollywood divorce. It’s a story of class, race, power, and the deeply personal cost of being caught in the orbit of someone so much bigger—both in wealth and in influence.
If even part of Michaels’ claims hold water in court, it may redefine how the public views one of entertainment’s most revered power players—and how we think about transactional relationships veiled in romance.
REFERENCE: Variety
Just look at the age difference. They both knew what they were getting into. Neither is a victim, both were of legal age.
The moral of the story is, you can’t treat another human being like a tissue once you’ve used them. Geffen needs to make this right with Michaels.
“my business associate, Benji