The estranged younger husband of billionaire mogul David Geffen has accused him of ‘systemic exploitation’ during their marriage and believing himself to be ‘untouchable’ in the latest bombshell legal suit in their acrimonious public divorce.
In court documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court and seen by Daily Mail, Donovan Michaels – also known as David Armstrong – sued his 82-year-old former lover for breach of contract and accused him of using a ‘toxic mix of seduction, control, promises of love, and lavish displays of wealth to entrap’ him in ‘a cycle of dependency, submission, and humiliation’.
Michaels, 32, said their split came after Geffen filed for divorce back in May and is ‘not about a mere personal falling out’.
Instead, he alleges the breakdown is about the systemic exploitation of a vulnerable, marginalized young gay black man by a wealthy, powerful white gay billionaire who believed himself untouchable’.
‘Behind the glittering façade of their relationship was a calculated pattern of abuse and commodification,’ the 33-page legal complaint alleges.
The latest legal filings offer a one-sided glimpse on how the famously private entertainment mogul – worth an estimated $9billion – met the model, with Michaels claiming Geffen contacted him via a high-end dating platform after the younger man moved to Florida with a friend.
In his complaint, Michaels says while in Florida, he ‘fell into exotic dancing and X-rated videos’ and that in order to ‘survive’ he went on SeekingArrangements.com – a website he says connects people for ‘mutually beneficial’ relationships’, where Geffen contacted him and was ‘more than eager to meet Michaels in person’.
Donovan Michaels sued his 82-year-old former lover, David Geffen, for breach of contract and accused him of using a ‘toxic mix of seduction, control, promises of love, and lavish displays of wealth to entrap’ him in ‘a cycle of dependency, submission, and humiliation’
The estranged younger husband of billionaire mogul David Geffen (pictured) has accused him of ‘systemic exploitation’ during their marriage and believing himself to be ‘untouchable’ in the latest bombshell legal suit in their acrimonious public divorce
Geffen allegedly paid Michaels $10,000 for sex on the night they first met back in 2016, and over time, their paid sexual relationship developed into a romantic partnership, according to the lawsuit seen by the Daily Mail.
‘Geffen told Michaels he loved him, and the two agreed to treat each other as life partners, share all assets equally, and that Geffen would support Michaels financially for life,’ the complaint states.
‘Michaels gave up his dreams – his modeling career, his independence – to dedicate himself fully to this promise,’ the complaint adds.
The complaint also alleges that while Geffen was celebrating aboard his superyacht in Venice last month – surrounded by A-list guests ahead of the Jeff Bezos–Lauren Sanchez wedding – he ordered Michaels to ‘immediately vacate’ their New York home – a move that would leave him without a home.
The suit claims ‘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,’ the complaint states.
Geffen then allegedly cut off Michaels’ financial support, making it ‘impossible’ for him to secure stable housing or cover basic living expenses.
‘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,’ the complaint states.
‘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.’
As well as Michael’s claims about the final days together, it includes a series of astonishing allegations about what went on during their relationship.
‘Geffen also found additional ways to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for control over Michaels,’ the lawsuit claims.
‘With backhanded insults and put-downs about Michaels’ past and lack of sophistication, Geffen cultivated Michaels’ insecurity and self-doubt. He critiqued every aspect of Michaels’ appearance and exercised strict control over his body hygiene.’
Geffen allegedly paid Michaels $10,000 for sex on the night they first met back in 2016, and over time, their paid sexual relationship developed into a romantic partnership, according to the lawsuit seen by the Daily Mail. Pictured: David Geffen, Patrick Whitesell, Donovan Michaels & Michael B. Jordan courtside during the game during Game Three of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs
The complaint also alleges that while Geffen was celebrating aboard his superyacht in Venice last month – surrounded by A-list guests ahead of the Jeff Bezos–Lauren Sanchez wedding – he ordered Michaels to ‘immediately vacate’ their New York home – a move that would leave him without a home. Pictured: David Geffen’s yacht Rising Sun
Geffen allegedly also demanded that his ex-beau remove all of his body hair. Pictured: David Geffen and Donovan Michaels on his Instagram
The billionaire record executive reportedly ordered his ex-lover to ‘undergo extensive, painful’ treatments to conform to his idea of ‘perfection.’
‘Geffen required Michaels to undergo extensive, painful laser and dental treatments. Even something as minor as an ingrown hair could provoke Geffen’s ire and prompt a barrage of instructions to correct the imperfection,’ according to the complaint.
Michaels claims he was ‘awestruck by Geffen’, a ‘philanthropist’ who ‘talked the talk’ when the younger man revealed issues ‘during his underprivileged upbringing,’ during the ill-fated couple’s first meeting nine years ago.
In his complaint, Michaels said he ‘opened up to Geffen’, confiding in him ‘about the painful realities of his life – his traumatic upbringing in the Michigan foster care system, his lack of a real family, his instability, and his prior run-ins with the law’.
He went on that he ‘spoke candidly, not to gain sympathy from Geffen, but because he believed he had finally found someone who could understand and maybe even care’.
But Michaels claims his then future husband ‘weaponized [his] vulnerability to fulfill his own personal fantasies’, including the lucrative financial transaction he alleges was made on the first night they met.
The former model turned go-go dancer claimed Geffen ‘used Michaels’ tragic story not as a reason to offer genuine support, but as a grooming tool – casting himself as savior, “white knight,” mentor, and gatekeeper to a better life’.
Michaels claims he was ‘awestruck by Geffen’, a ‘philanthropist’ who ‘talked the talk’ when the younger man revealed issues ‘during his underprivileged upbringing,’ during the ill-fated couple’s first meeting nine years ago. Pictured: David Geffen (L) and Elton John attend the opening of the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California
Geffen reportedly dated famous singer, Cher, for about two years in the mid-1970s, their relationship began shortly after Cher separated from Sonny Bono. Pictured: Cher and her then-boyfriend music mogul David Geffen attend an event in 1973
The younger man claims he became a ‘private sexual object and a public prop’ that Geffen allegedly used to show off his ‘self-proclaimed altruism to impress his powerful network’.
‘From that moment forward, Geffen began transporting Michaels across the globe as his paid sex worker,’ the complaint continued.
In the documents – filed Tuesday morning by Bryan Freedman, the attorney representing Justin Baldoni in his legal case against Blake Lively – Michaels claimed the mogul used him as a ‘living social experiment – a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence’.
Freedman is assisting Michaels’ attorney Samantha Spector. Geffen is represented by leading divorce attorney Laura Wasser.
The couple married in 2023 without a pre-nup, the complaint adds.
It comes after Daily Mail previously exclusively revealed the shocking backstory to Michaels’ upbringing – and his adoptive father’s shock about his marriage to a man and pessimism over how long the marriage would last.
