Billionaire media mogul David Geffen’s divorce from his estranged husband, Donovan Michaels, is turning into a financial drama as the former go-go dancer claims he’s been left nearly broke while fighting for more support.
According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Michaels (real name David Andrew Armstrong) says he has just $7,518 in cash and savings in his latest filing. The 32-year-old alleges the 82-year-old mogul has kept him financially dependent and is now trying to conceal his true wealth to minimize support payments. Geffen, worth an estimated $9.1 billion, has denied those claims. The two did not sign a prenup before marrying.
Messy, Messy, Messy
The couple’s 23-month marriage fell apart earlier this year after Michaels accused Geffen of using “a toxic mix of seduction, control, promises of love, and lavish displays of wealth” to keep him submissive. While Michaels dropped his separate $400 million civil suit against Geffen in October, the divorce battle has only heated up as both sides argue over money.
In filings, Geffen said he’s already paid Michaels at least $500,000 since their breakup, including $50,000 in legal fees and nearly $200,000 for a “private ultra-luxury drug rehabilitation center.” He also claimed to have covered Michaels’ $25,000 monthly stipend and rent. His legal team, led by powerhouse attorney Laura Wasser, argued that Geffen is retired and that no community property exists because Michaels “never worked during the marriage.”
But Michaels’ attorney, Samantha Spector, has pushed back, accusing Geffen of hiding assets “within a labyrinth of investments and business activities.” She likened the fight to “a case of David and Goliath,” alleging her client is being “unfairly outspent” by the billionaire. Spector has requested the court sanction Geffen $30,000 and order a forensic accounting of his finances.
Michaels, a former dancer who met Geffen through the website SeekingArrangements.com, once claimed the mogul paid him $10,000 for sex the night they met and that a relationship later evolved into marriage.
