David Geffen seeks single status in high-profile divorce, offering settlement terms tied to past expenditures

Billionaire David Geffen is asking a Los Angeles court to legally declare him single as his divorce from David Armstrong, a 32-year-old ex–go-go dancer, continues to unfold, according to newly filed court documents. In the filings handled by attorney Laura Wasser, Geffen says he is willing to pay as much as $50,000 a month in spousal support for one year, but only if he receives credit for money he has already spent since the February split and if the high-net-worth settlement is structured to speed the end of the marriage.

Geffen, 82, notes in the filings that he has already provided substantial financial support since the breakup. court papers indicate he has wired or paid roughly $200,000 in cash since February, another $200,000 for rehabilitation, and given Armstrong a rent-free right to a Manhattan apartment valued at about $15,000 a month. The filings also highlight that Geffen’s stance on the finances is shaped by the couple’s age difference and the fact that the marriage lasted only about two years, with Geffen already well into retirement when they wed in 2023.

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Armstrong, who now goes by the stage name Donovan Michaels, has a documented past that includes work in New York City’s modeling and nightlife scenes. Court records note that Armstrong’s personal assets include a reported $5 million stash of art, jewelry, and watches gifted during the whirlwind romance. In contrast, Geffen maintains there was no community property to divide because the couple’s 23-month marriage began after Geffen had already retired from full-time work, and he asserts he did not accumulate marital wealth during the union.

The couple’s relationship drew public attention after a quiet Beverly Hills wedding in 2023 and subsequent sightings, including a moment in Manhattan when Geffen was photographed wearing a wedding band on a helipad run. Armstrong’s past was explored by tabloids and outlets such as The New York Post, which described his background and movements through various nightlife and social circles in Florida and New York, as well as his changing names and dating history. The documents stress that mediation between the parties has failed, and Geffen contends Armstrong has attempted to leverage media attention to pressure a settlement.

Geffen’s fortune is substantial. Forbes has pegged his net worth at about $8.7 billion, underscoring the scale of high-net-worth divorce proceedings and the complexity of asset division and spousal support in such cases. The filings also imply a broader dispute over controlling assets and the timeline for termination of the marriage, rather than a simple separation.

In his filings, Geffen emphasizes the urgency of finalizing the dissolution, labeling the marriage as “undoubtedly irremediably broken down.” He asks the judge to legally declare him single as soon as possible, a move that would clear the path for him to proceed independently. The case underscores the evolving landscape of celebrity and billionaire divorces, where large fortunes, nontraditional marriages, and public interest intersect with formal legal processes.

Geffen’s career stretches from the music industry to film and media, including co-founding DreamWorks in the 1990s with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg. His former record labels helped launch or popularize dozens of major artists, and his influence in entertainment has long extended into philanthropic and business ventures. The present divorce, while intensely private in nature, also illustrates the financial and legal complexities that accompany high-net-worth separations in a media-saturated environment.

As the process unfolds, observers will watch how the court weighs the arguments over spousal support and the absence of community property, along with the question of whether the parties can reach a mediated settlement or proceed to trial. The case serves as a reminder that even wealth on the scale of Geffen’s does not guarantee a quick resolution to personal and domestic matters, especially when the timelines are compressed, assets are intricate, and public interest remains high.