Latest news with #breachofcontract
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billionaire film mogul David Geffen sued by estranged husband Donovan Michaels
David Geffen is being sued by his estranged husband. The 82-year-old film producer is accused of treating Donovan Michaels, 32, like a "living social experiment" during the couple's two-year marriage in a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Michaels has accused Geffen of breach of contract and alleges that the record executive kicked him out of their New York while he attended Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos's wedding to Lauren Sanchez in Venice last month and went back on a promise to give him lifelong financial support. The lawsuit alleges that Geffen – who has an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion – used a "toxic mix of seduction, control, promises of love and lavish displays of wealth to entrap" Michaels in a loop of "dependency, submission and humiliation". Patty Glaser, a partner at the law firm representing the film mogul, said: "There was no contract – express, written, oral or implied – that has ever existed. We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit." The complaint says that Geffen met Michaels on the dating site in 2016 and paid him $10,000 for sex. The couple married in a private Beverly Hills ceremony in 2023 and the complaint claims that Geffen did not seek a prenuptial agreement. The DreamWorks co-founder filed for divorce in May, citing irreconcilable differences, and the pair had kept details of their separation private until Michaels filed his lawsuit. The dancer – whose real name is David Armstrong – described himself in the lawsuit as a vulnerable young gay black man who had been exploited by a "wealthy, powerful white gay billionaire who believed himself untouchable". Geffen is alleged to have criticised "every aspect of Michaels's appearance" and body hygiene that required him to get "painful" laser and dental treatments. Michaels claims that he was frequently subjected to "back-handed insults and put-downs" about his "past and lack of sophistication". He likened the pair's relationship to the plot of the movie Trading Places and alleges that Geffen treated him like "a living social experiment – a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence". The lawsuit states: "Geffen told Michaels he loved him, and the two agreed to treat each other as life partners, share all assets equally and that Geffen would support Michaels financially for life. "Michaels gave up his dreams – his modelling career, his independence – to dedicate himself fully to this promise." The suit also alleges that Geffen ordered Michaels to "immediately vacate" the couple's New York home as he partied aboard his $400 million Rising Sun superyacht in the lead-up to the Bezos wedding. It states that Michaels was left homeless as Geffen was "decadently and extravagantly partying and dancing the night away in Venice, Italy with the other 0.0001 per cent of the wealthiest people on the planet". The complaint says: "While Geffen holds himself out to the public as an extraordinarily charitable man whose foundation gives millions and millions of dollars to advocacy and support groups for the homeless and disadvantaged populations, he is simultaneously endeavouring to render Michaels impoverished and homeless."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Geffen sued by estranged husband
David Geffen is being sued by his estranged husband, Donovan Michaels, for breach of contract. The billionaire and former record executive, who is 82, has allegedly reneged on his promise to provide "lifelong support" to the 32-year-old dancer, who also goes by the name David Armstrong. The news comes amid their ongoing divorce, according to court documents filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court. According to the complaint, reported by People magazine, Michaels is claiming that Geffen is in "breach of express oral contract" and "breach of implied contract" for denying him "full financial support" after the two separated in April this year. "In addition to evicting Michaels, Geffen also cut him off from his status quo financial support," Michaels' lawyers allege in the complaint. In a statement shared with People, Geffen's lawyer Patty Glaser claimed that "there was no contract, express, written, oral, or implied, that has ever existed." "We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit," she added. Geffen filed for divorce from Michaels in May after less than two years of marriage. The couple did not sign a prenup before marrying in March 2023. Geffen co-founded Asylum Records in 1971 and co-founded DreamWorks Records in 1996. He is now retired, and Forbes has reported that his net worth is around $8.7 billion (£6.4 billion).
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Pro bull riding league files objection of Dr. Phil's media bankruptcy saying it is owed $181 million
Professional Bull Riders, the largest bull-riding league in the world, has filed an objection to the bankruptcy proceedings of Dr. Phil McGraw 's media network, claiming it is owed $181 million. McGraw launched a conservative-leaning cable network in April 2024 called Merit Street Media. Barely a year later the network filed for bankruptcy and filed a lawsuit against its distribution partner Trinity Broadcasting for breach of contract earlier this month. In its lawsuit, the media network claimed Trinity 'reneged on its obligations and abused its position as the controlling shareholder of Merit Street,' leaving it over $100 million in debt. The Professional Bull Riders, which pulled its programming from Merit Street Media last November, has been trying to hold McGraw personally responsible for the millions it says it's owed by Merit Street. McGraw's lawyers, through legal filings, have rejected the premise that their client should be personally responsible for money Merit Street is accused of owing, according to The Dallas Morning News. It asked the court late last week to strike a provision in the network's bankruptcy case called an interested parties release, the publication reported. This provision could release non-debtor parties, such as McGraw and his Peteski Productions company, from claims from creditors, such as the bull riding league, against the debtor, which would be Merit Street Media. The bull riding league cut ties with Merit Street Media just months after signing a four-year contract with the network. At the time, the league said it was because of failure to make payments for rights fees. 'PBR honored its contract with Dr. Phil's Merit Street Media, delivered on every performance metric, and brought more than one million viewers to the new network. Dr. Phil and his company completely reneged on the deal just five months in,' the league said in a statement last Friday, per The Dallas Morning News. Chip Babcock, an attorney for Peteski Productions, called the league's objection 'more appropriate fodder for the press than the Court,' the publication reported. 'To the extent they are relevant to any issue in the case we are confident the judge will deal with it appropriately,' Babcock added.
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Billionaire film mogul, 82, ‘treated husband like living experiment'
David Geffen's estranged husband has sued the billionaire film and music mogul for allegedly treating him like a 'living social experiment' during their two-year marriage. Donovan Michaels, 32, filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles superior court accusing Geffen, 82, of breach of contract. He alleged the media proprietor had kicked him out of their New York home while attending Jeff Bezos's lavish wedding to Lauren Sánchez in Venice last month and reneged on a promise to provide him with lifelong financial support. The suit alleges Geffen used a 'toxic mix of seduction, control, promises of love and lavish displays of wealth to entrap' Michaels in a cycle of 'dependency, submission and humiliation'. Patty Glaser, a partner at the law firm representing Geffen, said: 'There was no contract — express, written, oral or implied — that has ever existed. We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit.' According to the complaint, Geffen met Michaels in 2016 on the dating website and paid him $10,000 that night for sex. They were married in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills in March 2023 and Geffen, who has an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion, did not seek a prenuptial agreement, the complaint states. Geffen filed for divorce in May, citing irreconcilable differences. The pair had kept details of their relationship and separation private before Michaels's lawsuit was filed this week. Michaels, whose real name is David Armstrong, described himself in the suit as a vulnerable, marginalised young gay black man who had been systemically exploited by a 'wealthy, powerful white gay billionaire who believed himself untouchable'. The former model and dancer alleged Geffen had known about his troubled past growing up in foster care, but rather than showing empathy had treated him as an 'object of exploitation'. Geffen is said to have critiqued 'every aspect of Michaels's appearance' and body hygiene, and required him to get 'painful' laser and dental treatments. Michaels claimed he was constantly subjected to 'back-handed insults and put-downs' about his 'past and lack of sophistication'. He compared their relationship to the plot of the 1983 film Trading Places, alleging that Geffen began treating him like 'a living social experiment — a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence'. He claimed to have become a 'prop in Geffen's theatre of virtue, paraded around as evidence of Geffen's supposed altruism, while privately used as a sexual commodity'. 'Geffen told Michaels he loved him, and the two agreed to treat each other as life partners, share all assets equally and that Geffen would support Michaels financially for life,' the lawsuit states. 'Michaels gave up his dreams — his modelling career, his independence — to dedicate himself fully to this promise.' The lawsuit further alleges that while Geffen was celebrating aboard his $400 million superyacht Rising Sun before the Bezos-Sánchez wedding, he ordered Michaels to 'immediately vacate' their New York home and cut off his financial support. Michaels was left homeless at the same time that Geffen was 'decadently and extravagantly partying and dancing the night away in Venice, Italy with the other 0.0001 per cent of the wealthiest people on the planet', the complaint stated. 'While Geffen holds himself out to the public as an extraordinarily charitable man whose foundation gives millions and millions of dollars to advocacy and support groups for the homeless and disadvantaged populations, he is simultaneously endeavouring to render Michaels impoverished and homeless.' Geffen launched his eponymous music label Geffen Records in 1980, and signed top artists including John Lennon, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana and Aerosmith. In 1994, he co-founded the film studio DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. It produced the Shrek franchise, Saving Private Ryan and Gladiator. Geffen maintains properties in Beverly Hills, Malibu and New York, and owns one of the most expensive private art collections in the world.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Geffen's Estranged Husband, Donovan Michaels, Sues Mogul for Breach of Contract
David Geffen's divorce drama has made its way into the public eye after his estranged husband, Donovan Michaels, sued the entertainment mogul for breach of contract. The suit, which was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, accuses Geffen, 82, of exploiting a 'vulnerable, marginalized young gay Black man' as a 'wealthy, powerful white gay billionaire who believed himself untouchable.' More from The Hollywood Reporter David Geffen Files for Divorce From Donovan Michaels Eddie Rosenblatt, Veteran Geffen Records Executive, Dies at 89 Children of Robbie Robertson Take His Widow to Court Over Claims to His Estate The Hollywood Reporter reported in May that Geffen filed for divorce from Michaels, 32, after less than two years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The mogul tied the knot with Michaels, a former go-go dancer whose real name is David Armstrong, in 2023 in a private Beverly Hills ceremony. While the pair kept their relationship private, details surrounding their relationship have now been revealed in Michaels' suit. The complaint states that the pair met on the dating website, It also accuses Geffen of paying Michaels $10,000 for sex the night that they met, and, 'like the plot of the movie Trading Places, began treating Michaels as a living social experiment — a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence.' According to the suit, Geffen knew about Michaels' troubled past — as he grew up in the foster care system — but 'rather than respond with empathy or offer genuine support, Geffen saw Michaels as an object of exploitation.' Over time, the duo's paid sexual relationship developed into a partnership, the lawsuit states, as 'Geffen told Michaels he loved him and the two would treat one another as life partners, share all assets equally, and Geffen would support Michaels financially for life. Michaels gave up his dreams — his modeling career, his independence — to dedicate himself fully to this promise.' Geffen and Michaels got married in 2023 with no prenup, according to the complaint, but 'what Michaels did not know at the time was that this was nothing more than a transaction to Geffen.' Throughout their marriage, the mogul allegedly 'critiqued every aspect of Michaels' appearance and carefully controlled Michaels with respect to all aspects of his body hygiene,' requiring him to get 'painful laser treatments and dental treatments.' The suit also states that Michaels was met with 'back-handed insults and put-downs' about his 'past and lack of sophistication.' In the complaint, Geffen is also accused of demeaning 'sexual access at will, including acts Michaels found degrading.' He also allegedly supplied Michaels with drugs and alcohol as 'tools of coercion — lowering his resistance and increasing his dependency.' This led Michaels to seek treatment after suffering from addiction. Following treatment, Michaels claims he tried to make amends with Geffen, but that he 'did not want a healthier Michaels. He wanted control and submission. He wanted to be the savior, the white knight, and the 'top.'' After Geffen filed for divorce in April 2025, the suit alleges Geffen 'almost immediately breached the oral agreements by denying Michaels full financial support.' A few months later, in June 2025, the lawsuit states that 'while Geffen was hosting his super-wealthy celebrity friends on his superyacht in Venice, Italy, preparing to attend the Bezos [Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez] wedding, he demanded that Michaels immediately vacate the New York residence, which would effectively render Michaels homeless.' 'In addition to evicting Michaels, Geffen also cut him off from his status quo financial support, making it impossible for Michaels to secure an appropriate living situation and provide for his daily necessities,' according to the complaint. THR reached out to Geffen's attorney for comment. Geffen, who has a net worth over $9.1 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, landed at No. 371 on the list of the world's wealthiest people as of July 22. The mogul also co-founded the label Asylum Records in 1971 before later founding Geffen Records and DGC Records. His motion picture company, Geffen Pictures, also produced a handful of films and TV shows, including Personal Best, Beetlejuice, Interview with the Vampire and Little Shop of Horrors. Then in 1994, he co-founded DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, before DreamWorks Animation spun off to form a publicly traded company a decade later. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025
