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.
In a court response filed this week and obtained by TMZ, the entertainment mogul denies he ever promised Armstrong lifelong financial support or a share of his assets.
According to the filing, Geffen says he was generous during the relationship—housing Armstrong in a New York apartment and providing “nearly unlimited spending money”—but never agreed to co-own property or fund Armstrong “for the rest of his life” if they split. His team points to Geffen’s written estate plan as evidence that such promises weren’t part of the deal.
The response arrives after Armstrong’s July lawsuit, which claims Geffen pledged they would “share all earnings and accumulated property equally” and that he would support Armstrong indefinitely.
The dispute follows Geffen’s May divorce filing, which came just less than two years after the couple's marriage; there was no prenuptial agreement. Forbes pegs Geffen’s net worth at roughly $8.8 billion, and, per the filing, his income derives from investments and assets acquired long before the relationship.
Geffen’s papers also describe Armstrong’s alleged spending and conduct toward the end of the marriage, claiming he splurged on designer clothes, cosmetic procedures, and trips with friends, and spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” on OnlyFans and male escorts.
The filing further alleges Armstrong concealed ketamine and cocaine use, and that Geffen paid for treatment. Geffen says he ended the marriage after concluding Armstrong’s “facade of a loving, devoted husband began to crumble.”
Despite the breakup, Geffen says Armstrong still lives rent-free in one of his luxury Manhattan apartments and receives monthly payments, accusing him of turning a “simple divorce” into a “public spectacle.” Attorney Patty Glaser filed Geffen’s civil response, joining his divorce counsel, Laura Wasser.
Previous reporting noted the pair first met on SeekingArrangement in 2016, dated for years, and married in March 2023. Armstrong’s complaint seeks lifetime living expenses, a permanent home beyond Geffen’s control, and an accounting of property accumulated during the relationship. Geffen’s camp maintains that no such agreement existed.