Billionaire music mogul David Geffen has responded to his estranged husband’s recent lawsuit, dismissing it as a ”work of fiction” designed to embarrass him.
The 82-year-old’s ex-husband, 32-year-old model Donovan Michaels, filed the lawsuit last month. In it, he alleged that Geffen treated him like ”a living social experiment—a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence.”
Michaels also alleged that Geffen got him addicted to drugs that he used as “tools of coercion” to increase his dependency on the DreamWorks co-founder.
Geffen was also accused of controlling Michaels’ appearance and demanding “sexual access at will,” including acts Michaels found degrading.
Michaels argued that he felt exploited by Geffen, who had taken advantage of him, “masquerading as a white knight while hiding behind wealth, philanthropy and fame.”
On Saturday, Geffen’s legal team responded to the lawsuit, describing it as “ludicrous and contrived.”
“Plaintiff cannot embarrass Geffen and extort a settlement with petty gossip and salacious lies,” the response read.
Geffen’s lawyers argued that Michaels took advantage of Geffen’s generosity during their marriage, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on designer clothing, cosmetic procedures, and gifts for friends.
They also allege Michaels spent a significant sum on OnlyFans subscriptions and male escorts, and that Michaels hid his extensive drug use from Geffen as well as his multiple affairs.
In his initial lawsuit, Michaels outlined how he met Geffen on Seeking.com, a website that facilitates sugar dating, and alleged that after Geffen learned of his troubled past—his ”history of neglect, poverty, instability and legal entanglements”—he sought to leverage that to turn Michaels into “an object of exploitation… whose trauma could be weaponized for Geffen’s personal gratification and public image.”
Michaels claimed that Geffen promised him lifelong financial support as well as shared ownership of all assets, while Geffen denies making any such promises, citing his estate plan and financial records as proof that no such agreement exists. The couple did not have a prenuptial agreement in place prior to their 2023 wedding.
”Geffen loved Plaintiff and treated him with nothing but kindness, respect, and generosity throughout their relationship,” reads the filing. Geffen’s lawyers asked that Michaels’ lawsuit be dismissed with prejudice and are seeking a jury trial.
The post Music Billionaire, 82, Responds to Model Husband’s, 32, Sex-and-Drugs Lawsuit: ‘Salacious Lies’ appeared first on The Daily Beast.
