Donovan Michaels has dropped his civil lawsuit against estranged husband David Geffen for alleged breach of contract.
The former dancer filed to dismiss the lawsuit against the billionaire record executive “without prejudice” in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 17, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
Lawyers for both Michaels and Geffen didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Original Lawsuit
Michaels, 32, sued Geffen, 82, in July for failing to provide “lifelong support” during their ongoing divorce proceedings.
The complaint claimed Geffen breached both express and implied contracts by “denying” Michaels “full financial support” after their separation.
Michaels also goes by David Armstrong.
Michaels’ legal team alleged that Geffen evicted Michaels and “cut him off from his status quo financial support.”
“There was no contract – express, written, oral, or implied – that has ever existed,” Geffen’s lawyer Patty Glaser told PEOPLE at the time.
She added: “We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit.”
Divorce Proceedings
Geffen filed for divorce from Michaels on May 16 after less than two years of marriage.
The divorce filing cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. Their separation date was listed as Feb. 22, 2025.
The former couple didn’t sign a prenup before marrying in March 2023.
According to Forbes, Geffen’s net worth may be around $8.7 billion.
Geffen was willing to pay Michaels spousal support and attorney fees, according to the May filing. On May 27, Michaels filed a formal request for spousal support, attorney’s fees and “all other relief the Court deems just and proper.”
A court order issued that same day required both men to share their financial information.
Under California law, spousal support “typically lasts less than the length of the marriage,” according to Rolling Stone. Michaels would also be entitled to half of Geffen’s earnings during their marriage.
Relationship Origins
Though the couple hasn’t shared how they met, Michaels claimed in the July filing that Geffen sought him out through SeekingArrangements.com.
The complaint alleged Geffen “paid Michaels $10,000 for sex” on “the very first night they met.”
“Over time, what began as a paid sexual relationship evolved into a Marvin-type partnership. 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,” the complaint alleged.
The lawsuit claimed Michaels gave “his body, his love, his labor, his youth” to keep Geffen satisfied.
After the relationship deteriorated into what Michaels described as a “calculated pattern of abuse and commodification,” the complaint alleged Geffen responded by “cutting him off, demanding a divorce, and breaching his years-long promises and agreements.”
“This case exposes a stark power dynamic, echoing Trading Places in its portrayal of a marginalized young man allegedly exploited by a billionaire hiding behind a façade of philanthropy,” Michaels’ legal team said in a statement to PEOPLE in July.
In the original complaint, Michaels requested that Geffen “provide adequate support necessary to pay Michaels reasonable general living expenses for the rest of his life” and provide him with his own home.
The dismissal “without prejudice” means Michaels could potentially refile the lawsuit at a later date.
