- David Geffen, 83, and estranged husband Donovan Michaels (a.k.a. David Armstrong) have reached a divorce settlement, per court documents obtained by TMZ, nearly a year after Geffen filed in May 2025.
- The couple married in 2023 without a prenup — a decision that opened the floodgates to allegations of financial manipulation, drug use, and a scorched-earth civil lawsuit that was later dropped.
- Financial terms remain sealed, though Geffen had already been covering Michaels’ $15,000-a-month NYC penthouse rent throughout proceedings.
Well, it’s officially over — sort of. David Geffen has reached a settlement in his divorce from estranged husband David Armstrong, bringing an end to a months-long legal fight that spilled far beyond a typical celebrity split. Armstrong, for those just tuning in, is also known by the name Donovan Michaels — and yes, it’s been that kind of divorce.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the 83-year-old billionaire is now on the brink of formalizing his separation with 33-year-old former go-go dancer David Armstrong, who goes by the stage name Donovan Michaels, after a bitter breakup.
Don’t get too excited about the receipts, though. The terms of the settlement are not clear — there’s nothing in the documents giving any details. Classic Geffen.
How We Got Here
Geffen and Armstrong married in March 2023 without signing a prenup. Geffen filed for divorce in May 2025, shortly before the couple’s second anniversary. From there, the case quickly evolved from a divorce filing into a separate civil lawsuit and a very public argument over money.
No prenup on a $9 billion fortune. Let that marinate for a second.
David Geffen, who has an eye-watering net worth of $8.7 billion according to Forbes, is being represented by famed divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who has also represented the likes of Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, and Jennifer Lopez in their high-profile divorces.
The Accusations Got Ugly — Fast
Armstrong previously claimed Geffen promised that they would “share all earnings and accumulated property equally” and that he would be financially supported for the rest of his life. Geffen, unsurprisingly, said absolutely not.
Armstrong also alleged that Geffen controlled nearly every aspect of his life, from what he wore and read to where he went and who he spent time with. Armstrong further claimed that while Geffen attended the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in Venice last June, an assistant told him to leave the couple’s Manhattan home and cut off his access to shared funds. Nothing says “it’s over” like getting kicked out of your apartment while your husband yachts around Venice for a billionaire wedding.
Armstrong accused Geffen of treating him as “a living social experiment” and parading him around as a “trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence.”
Then came the civil lawsuit, in which Michaels claimed that Geffen “solicited Donovan when he was a vulnerable young foster care graduate and thereafter perpetrated physical, emotional, and psychological harm on him.”
Armstrong also claimed in the suit that the pair met through Seekingarrangements.com, a website that bills itself as a place where “accomplished individuals can make exceptional connections and find hypergamy.”
Geffen’s team was not amused. Geffen’s team dismissed the case, writing in response, “Plaintiff cannot embarrass Geffen and extort a settlement with petty gossip and salacious lies.”
The Civil Suit Gets Dropped, Mediation Begins
It was ultimately dropped. In October, TMZ reported that Armstrong’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, moved to dismiss the suit without prejudice, telling the news site that outstanding questions about money “will be resolved in mediation.”
And resolve they did — though don’t expect a line-item breakdown anytime soon.
Geffen’s Version of “Generous”
Throughout the proceedings, Geffen pushed back hard on the narrative that he’d left Michaels out to dry. Geffen said he had already provided Armstrong with “nearly unlimited spending money,” a luxury apartment in New York, expensive travel, cosmetic procedures, designer clothing, and continued monthly payments after the separation. He also argued that most of his estimated $8.8 billion fortune came from investments and assets acquired long before the relationship began in 2016.
After their split, David reportedly still pays for Donovan’s $15,000-a-month rent for his New York City penthouse. Rough life.
What Happens Now
Both parties have agreed to submit financial documentation as part of the process, which was reportedly one of the most contentious sticking points throughout the whole ordeal. Both parties have agreed to legally end the marriage and have even entered into a written agreement regarding their property and partnership. Those details are under wraps, for now. They also gave the court authority to decide any remaining matters they did not specifically agree on.
The financial terms, as has been the case with most of this divorce, remain a very closely guarded secret.
The divorce lasted half as long as the marriage. Which, all things considered, tracks.
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A go-go dancer, a billionaire, and zero prenup: How David Geffen and Donovan Michaels’ divorce became Hollywood’s wildest legal saga
He allegedly got kicked out while Geffen partied at the Bezos wedding — now Donovan Michaels has finally reached a divorce deal
“A trophy to show off to his wealthy friends” — the most jaw-dropping claims from the Geffen-Michaels divorce, ranked
$9 billion, no prenup, and a civil lawsuit involving drug allegations — David Geffen’s divorce is officially settled, and we still have so many questions.
