David Geffen Settles Breach of Contract Lawsuit by Estranged Husband

A messy legal battle between David Geffen and his estranged husband, Donavan Michaels, over fallout from their divorce has been settled.

Lawyers for Michaels informed the court in November of a deal to resolve the case. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.

Geffen filed for divorce from Michaels in April after less than two years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Michaels promptly brought a breach of contract lawsuit. Under an oral deal the two sides allegedly reached during their relationship, Michaels claimed he was told the couple would share all their earnings and property, and that he’d be provided financial support for the rest of his life. In exchange, he said he gave up his model career and agreed to handle most household duties, among other things.

Geffen and Michaels, whose real name is David Armstrong, married in 2023 without a prenup, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit revealed intimate details of Geffen’s life. Michaels said the mogul paid him $10,000 for sex the night that they met after meeting on the dating website, SeekingArrangements.com.

Once they got married, Geffen controlled most aspects of Michaels’ life and demanded “sexual access at will,” the complaint said. The former go-go dancer also alleged that he was supplied with drugs and alcohol as “tools of coercion,” which required him to seek addiction treatment.

After they divorced, Michaels said he was denied the financial support he was promised.

Michaels was represented by Bryan Freedman, while Geffen was represented by Patty Glaser. Both lawyers are regarded as legal heavyweights in Hollywood.

Geffen co-founded DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, plus Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records. His production company, Geffen Pictures, also produced a handful of films and TV shows, including Beetlejuice, Interview With the Vampire and Little Shop of Horrors.