The mysterious marriage and subsequent split between David Geffen and model Donovan Michaels has spilled out into the public domain. And it’s getting nasty.
On Tuesday morning, Michaels, aka Donovan Armstrong, sued the Hollywood mogul for breach of contract in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that the multibillionaire treated him like “a living social experiment — a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence.”
In the 33-page complaint, Michaels says the nine-year relationship that culminated in two years of marriage mirrored the plotline of “Trading Places,” with a “young vulnerable black man, orphaned as a toddler” drawn into the web of “an exploiter, masquerading as posing as a white knight while hiding behind wealth, philanthropy and fame.” Geffen is 82 years old and worth $9 billion, according to Forbes. Michaels, who was placed in the foster care system at 18 months old, is 32.
Today’s lawsuit also parallels a twisted rags-to-riches novel, noting that Michaels did not first encounter Geffen in a boardroom, at a gala or through mutual friends. The couple met via SeekingArrangements.com, a website “where men like Geffen shop for the vulnerable,” the complaints states. It continues: “Geffen learned of Michaels’ troubled past — his history of neglect, poverty, instability, and legal entanglements. Rather than respond with empathy or offer genuine support, Geffen saw Michaels as an object of exploitation: a young, attractive and gay black man whose trauma could be weaponized for Geffen’s personal gratification and public image.”
According to the lawsuit, Geffen paid Michaels $10,000 for sex on their first night together in 2016. Over time, the paid sexual relationship evolved into a partnership. “Geffen told Michaels he loved him and the two would treat one another as life partners, share all assets equally, and Geffen would support Michaels financially for life,” the complaint says. “Michaels gave up his dreams — his modeling career, his independence — to dedicate himself fully to this promise.”
In 2023, Geffen and Michaels married without a prenup, the complaint notes. “This reinforced Michaels’ belief that the relationship was genuine and enduring,” it says. “What Michaels did not know at the time was that this was nothing more than a transaction to Geffen.”
The lawsuit likely follows private discussions between the couple, who split in April. Geffen, a titan of the industry who co-founded DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Katzenberg alongside his significant music assets, is represented by divorce attorney Laura Wasser. Michaels is working with Samantha Spector. In a case of déjà vu, Wasser and Spector are once again squaring off as they have done previously in a number of headline-grabbing divorces including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and Dr. Dre and Nicole Young.
But it was litigator Bryan Freedman, who has worked with Spector on various divorce cases to help untangle intellectual property assets, filed today’s complaint. Freedman is representing a number of high-profile cases in the news at the moment. This week, he reached a $1.5 billion settlement for the creators of “South Park” in their lawsuit against Paramount. He is also representing Justin Baldoni in the director’s sprawling legal battle with Blake Lively. And Freedman is working in conjunction with Mark Geragos to secure the release of Lyle and Erik Menendez (Geragos represents the brothers, while Freedman’s clients include 27 family members who are calling for the Lyle and Erik’s release.)
The lawsuit offers Michaels’ side of the May-December union and briefly references “abuse” perpetrated by Geffen as well as the billionaire’s “proclivities.” Sources say Michaels’ lawyers held back on some the more salacious allegations out of respect for Geffen.
Still, there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes details, like Geffen allegedly forcing Michaels to have all of his body hair removed. “Geffen also found additional ways to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for control over Michaels. With back-handed insults and put-downs about Michaels’ past and lack of sophistication, Geffen cultivated Michaels’ insecurity and self-doubt,” the lawsuit says. “Geffen critiqued every aspect of Michaels’ appearance and carefully controlled Michaels with respect to all aspects of his body hygiene. Geffen required Michaels to submit to extensive, painful laser treatments and dental treatments. Even the existence of an ingrown hair was enough to raise Geffen’s ire and trigger a flurry of instructions to correct the imperfection.”
The lawsuit also offers a sharp rebuttal of the image Geffen has cultivated as a philanthropist, whose name appears on hospital wings and in the halls of art museums across the country.
Michaels’ complaint leans into the power dynamic chasm between the two men. As Geffen was hosting his A-list friends on his superyacht Rising Sun last month on the eve of the Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez wedding, “he demanded that Michaels immediately vacate the New York residence, which would effectively render Michaels homeless,” the complaint states. “At the very same time, Geffen was decadently and extravagantly partying and dancing the night away in Venice, Italy with the other .0001% of the wealthiest people on the planet. In addition to evicting Michaels, Geffen also cut him off from his status quo financial support, making it impossible for Michaels to secure an appropriate living situation and provide for his daily necessities. While Geffen holds himself out to the public as an extraordinarily charitable man whose foundation gives millions and millions of dollars to advocacy and support groups for the homeless and disadvantaged populations, he is simultaneously endeavoring to render Michaels impoverished and homeless.”
Some of the action in the complaint takes place on the 454-foot superyacht, which has hosted a who’s-who of celebrities over the years.
“Geffen made a variety of illicit drugs available to Michaels, even on his superyacht, including cocaine, molly, and cannabis,” the complaint says. “Michaels was expected to use drugs along with Geffen and his friends, who occasionally enjoyed using hard drugs as a group on the superyacht, and he did his best to keep up with Geffen’s fast lifestyle, however, Michaels’ traumatic past was an emotional ticking time.”
Michael’s drug use took a toll. He developed substance abuse issues and landed in treatment. The complaint says Geffen has tried “to bully and tighten his control over Michaels” and “refused to engage in any further negotiations unless Michaels agreed to terminate his lawyers and deal directly with Geffen and his handpicked team of lawyers.” It adds: “Afraid, isolated, and without meaningful care or support, Michaels was left with no choice but to file this action.”
Little had been known about how Geffen and Michael’s relationship began, and today’s complaint fills in some of the blanks, including how the pair first quickly connected after Michaels posted a profile on SeekingArrangements.com. According to the company’s website, it is “the most successful luxury dating website in the world surpassing 52 million members in over 146 countries” and “stands at the forefront of sophisticated matchmaking, where accomplished individuals can make exceptional connections and find hypergamy.”