The media can make or break you, and for Michael Avenatti, it has done both. Michael was always in the headlines, seemingly fighting for justice, but now it looks like he has never been as conscientious as we thought. Before we get ahead of ourselves and pass judgment too soon, let these facts reveal the truth about Michael Avenatti’s character.
1. He divorce is costing him a lot
Divorce has never been cheap, especially when they involve well-known couples. Lisa may have kicked Michael out of his own house in December 2017, but she is not done with him. Apart from the private jet, five watches, Frank Gehry sculpture, and a Ferrari that Michael was made to give to his ex-wife, she is now going after Michael’s law firm. Lisa wants the firm to be split into shares in the hopes that in the final settlement, she will be given some shares. The woman is bent on getting Michael’s money, which he says is never enough for her.
2. He is being represented by a lawyer with a specialty in hopeless cases
Michael has realized he could end up in jail and thought it wise to hire a lawyer who specializes in cases such as his; hopeless ones. Scott Srebnick is a Miami lawyer who refers to himself as a “lawyer’s lawyer” because when his learned friends have a complicated or hopeless case, they turn to him. Other clients that Scott represents include corporate executives and bankers facing serious felony charges.
3. He is allegedly a deadbeat dad
Out of sight, out of mind could be what Michael lives by seeing that Lisa is accusing him of being a deadbeat dad to their son. Lisa was bitter that Michael lives a high-flying life partying with the likes of Bill Clinton yet does not pay child support for his son. Apart from owing $2 million in child support, Lisa claims that Michael does not even bother with the four-year-old boy’s healthcare plan. Considering that she knows how cunning Michael is with the bankruptcy claims for the law firm, she has further filed for discovery so that Michael’s financial documentation comes to light.
4. He has won multi-million settlements for his clients
Michael has a net worth of $8 million as of 2019 but has fought for his clients to get millions. Among his most notable achievements was winning a $474 million verdict against Kimberly-Clark and Halyard Health in 2017, but after an appeal, the amount went down to $21.7 million. Also in a class-action suit against Service Corporation International, Michael won $80 million and still when he went against KPMG, he won $41 million for his clients.
5. He might land a 335 years jail sentence
Michael is facing 36 counts of different types of fraud in one case, which if found guilty, will be sentenced to a maximum of 335 years in prison. Coupled with the extortion claims by Nike, he could get another 47 years in prison. However, since a prisoner serves sentences concurrently, the time he spends in jail will not extend that far.
6. He is addicted to his lavish lifestyle
We thought that Stormy Daniel’s $300,000 was all that Michael has allegedly taken from his client to fund his lavish lifestyle. It seems like Michael will not adjust when the money is not flowing his way; he would rather steal from his clients. Gregory Barela was supposed to get a $1.6 million settlement check, but Michael kept the money and used it for his expenses. He distributed the money to himself, his law firm, and his coffee business and lied to Barela about when he should expect his cash.
7. He became famous for going against Donald Trump
Most people will be intimidated by anyone in power, but Michael Avenatti is not the kind to cower. He represented Stormy Daniels, a porn star, who claimed that she had slept with Donald Trump and he had paid her, through Michael Cohen, to keep the incident confidential. The case saw Michael thrust into the limelight and with his relentless pursuit for justice, he was able to have Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, convicted.
8. He graduated top of his class
Of course, for anyone to manage remaining out of prison despite the numerous cases against him must be a brilliant lawyer. Michael attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in political science. He then went to law school at George Washington University and graduated top of his class in 2000 with a Juris Doctor.
9. He has been married twice
Some of us have never found “the one,” but Michael has found two women so far who were worthy to carry his surname. At 21, Michael met Christine Avenatti-Carlin, and they got married although it did not last; after 13 years and two children, they called it quits. Michael then married Lisa Avenatti in 2011 and once again after six years and a son, they separated in 2017. He must have gotten over his divorce fast because he started dating Mareli Miniutti in October 2017, but the relationship lasted a year before things went south.
10. Michael allegedly stole $300,000 from Stormy Daniels
Michael may have forgotten too soon that without Stormy Daniels, he would be just another lawyer among many without any substantial media coverage. Michael, according to New York City federal prosecutors as reported by the Guardian diverted around $300,000 that Stormy was supposed to get from a book deal, as an advance, using forged documents. Michael then used the money for business and personal expenses. Seeing that Stormy has retained another lawyer, the allegations could have some truth in them but let’s wait for the courts to decide.
11. He has handled high-profile cases
Michael’s reputation precedes him, and that is why people hire him when going against the high-flying members of the society. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that when Cathriona White committed suicide, her family hired Michael to represent them against Jim Carrey whom Ms. White had dated, for wrongful death lawsuit. The family however later withdrew the case. Michael also represented Zeta Graff as she claimed that Paris Hilton was spreading negative stories about her, but they settled out of court. Other high profile cases include going against the NFL, R. Kelly and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
12. He loves racing
When Michael was a young boy, his father would take him to the race tracks, and since then, he has had a passion for racing. Since 2010, Michael has raced professionally in the United States and Europe in about 33 professional sports car races including United SportsCar Championship, Porsche Supercup and American Le Man Series.
13. He was arrested for extortion in March 2019
Michael is now growing accustomed to trips to the police station. In March 2019, Nike had him arrested for trying to extort money from them; an action that Michael said was to stop him from going public with the truth. According to Michael, Nike bribed high school athletes to entice them to play basketball for Nike-sponsored institutions and gave the example of Zion Williamson, whose mother accepted money from Nike for him to play for Duke University. Michael says he has evidence to support his claims and the 41 pages he posted on the internet were just but a scratch on the surface.
14. Michael is an entrepreneur
Michael tried his hand in business through forming a company, Global Baristas in 2013, aimed at buying Tully’s Coffee out of bankruptcy. The business involved a partnership with Patrick Dempsey, an actor renowned for his character in Grey’s Anatomy since they acquired the company for $9 million agreeing that Patrick would be the public face and part-owner. They, however, had a falling out that led to a settlement. Global Baristas is currently facing many lawsuits claiming unpaid bills taxes, rent amounting to at least $7.4 million.
15. His law firm has had its share of problems
Michael has problems following him right, left and center; his coffee business, his law firm and Michael personally are all under pressure, and they might all crumble. Michael’s law firm, Eagan Avenatti filed for bankruptcy and agreed to pay a former partner $4.8 million, $1 million to other creditors and $2 million in back taxes. However, his bankruptcy case was dismissed after Jason Frank claimed that Michael had committed bankruptcy fraud by spending the law firm’s money for personal expenses. As usual, Michael has denied these allegations.
16. He was arrested in 2018 on domestic violence suspicion
Michael was arrested in November 2018 when a woman with visible bruises made her allegations of domestic violence against him. He was however released on a cash bail of $50,000 and told reporters he is an advocate for women’s rights and would never strike a woman. His first wife agrees that he is a loving father and had never been abusive to her or their daughters in the entire time they had been married.
17. He has a hot temper
Lisa Avenatti claims that Michael is hot-tempered because he is used to having his way, and when he does not, he gets verbally abusive. She gave the example of allowing him to spend time with their son but only with their nanny present, but Michael took offense to this condition and demanded access to Lisa’s house. Michael, however, denied the abuse allegations.
18. He is thinking of getting into politics
According to CNN, Michael is thinking about running for the office of the president of the United States if America. Maybe the fact that he has been able to fight Trump in court has given him the go-ahead to do the same with the ballot papers. Michael believes the Democrats are yearning for a fighter and to most of them, he is that person they seek; at least in his opinion, he thinks he is. Unfortunately for Michael, his star began shining brightly, but now it has gone dim and could disappear with the possibility of prison time looming over his head.
19. He does not hold back his tears
Men have been brought up to think that it is wrong for them to cry because it is a sign of weakness. Michael does not seem to hold such a belief because, during his interview with Vanity Fair, Michael broke down four times. It was especially difficult for him recounting how when he was arrested by the F.B.I and taken to the police station, he was only allowed one phone call, which he used to call his mother. It was hard for Michael to tell his mother, although she had already seen it on the news that he was in police custody.
20. He risks disbarment
Michael may have become used to the courtroom fighting for his clients, but in recent months, he is fighting for himself, and if the trend continues, he risks losing his license to practice. This information is according to Michael Frisch, a law professor who thinks that the charges Michael is facing are serious and regardless of whether he is found guilty or not, he might lose his license to practice law. Frisch explains further that a lawyer can be disbarred for misconduct or criminal charges even if he is not convicted, a fact that could be true given that the California bar was already probing Michael Avenatti’s business dealings in 2018.
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