David Geffen Responds to Estranged Husband Donovan Michaels' Lawsuit, Denies 'Exploitation'

David Geffen is pushing back hard against a civil suit from estranged husband David Andrew Armstrong—also known as Donovan Michaels—calling the allegations a “contrived attempt” to embarrass him and force a payout.

via: Advocate

The out gay billionaire said in the filing, first obtained by TMZ, that he never agreed to financially support Michaels for life as he claimed in the lawsuit. He also denied Michaels' allegations that he forced him to use drugs and undergo cosmetic procedures, claiming that Michaels did those of his own volition.

Geffen, 82, and Michaels, 32, married in 2023 with no prenup. Geffen filed for divorce in April of this year, citing "irreconcilable differences." Michaels filed a response in May requesting spousal support, then later filed a lawsuit in July accusing Geffen of breach of contract and exploitation.

Geffen said that he initiated the divorce because Michaels was taking advantage of his "good nature and generosity," accusing the younger of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on OnlyFans subscriptions and male prostitutes in the final months of their marriage. Geffen also claimed that Michaels used his money to purchase expensive clothes, vacations, and cosmetic procedures.

Michaels said in his lawsuit that Geffen was the one who made him get the cosmetic procedures, claiming that the billionaire would often make “back-handed insults and put-downs” about his “past and lack of sophistication.” He accused Geffen of forcing him to get “painful laser treatments and dental treatments," but said that he still “critiqued every aspect of Michaels’ appearance and carefully controlled Michaels with respect to all aspects of his body hygiene."

Michaels also accused Geffen of requiring “sexual access at will, including acts Michaels found degrading," and giving him drugs and alcohol as “tools of coercion — lowering his resistance and increasing his dependency," which resulted in him developing an addiction.

Geffen refuted the claims in his new filing, claiming that Michaels hid his use of ketamine and cocaine from him, and continued to use it even after Geffen offered to pay for addiction treatment.

Michaels' lawsuit claimed that Geffen breached an oral agreement between the couple "by denying Michaels full financial support" and demanding that he "immediately vacate the New York residence, which would effectively render Michaels homeless.” Geffen refuted this as well, asserting that Michaels is still living in one of his New York apartments for free and receiving monthly payments from him.