Years before California real estate baron Donald Bren publicly disowned his alleged “man cave scammer” son this week, the estranged child sued him for millions in a messy court battle that exposed embarrassing details from the billionaire’s private life.
David Bren, 33, has been accused of swindling investors out of $2 million with a fake business he pitched as the “ultimate man cave” for the ultra-rich — including a suite of luxury vehicles and curated dining experiences — that never existed, according to lawsuits reported on by the Los Angeles Times.
Donald Bren — 93-year-old chairman of Irvine Company who has been nicknamed the “Donald Trump of Orange County” and now worth $19.2 billion, according to Forbes –– denied any ties to David or the alleged scam in a 12-word statement earlier this week.
Donald Bren, chairman of Irvine Company and the richest real estate mogul in the US. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“We do not have a personal or business relationship with this individual,” Paul Hernandez, spokesperson for Donald Bren and Irvine Company, told The Post in a statement.
The public disowning comes about a decade after David and his sister, Christie Alexis Bren, then 18 and 22, sued their father for $400,000 a month in retroactive child support to the time they were born – a roughly $100 million sum.
A source familiar with the situation told The Post there has never been a relationship between Donald and David Bren, and the last time they saw each other was in court in 2010.
Jennifer McKay Gold — the children’s mother, who dated Donald on an off for about a decade starting in 1984 while he was single — initially filed the suit on their behalf in 2003, when the children were both minors.
Despite his billionaire status, Donald had kept his personal life, including his three marriages and at least three other children, fiercely private – until Gold’s testimony thrust details of their relationship, including his contraceptive preferences and alleged love letters, into the spotlight.
Donald currently lives in Newport, Calif., with his third wife, Brigitte Muller, an entertainment lawyer. The pair married in 1998.
David Bren, 33, has been accused of swindling investors out of $2 million with a fake business, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Rake/Youtube
Gold alleged Donald paid less in their out-of-court child support agreement than he would have if she had taken him to court – and that he broke promises to be involved in the kids’ lives.
By 2010, Donald had already paid $9 million in child support, according to his personal attorney, Jon Freund.
Hillel Chodos, a lawyer for David and Christie, said in closing arguments in 2010 that they had lived similarly to other upper middle-class families — while Donald had lived “like a maharajah,” owning two California homes, a Sun Valley ranch, a New York apartment, private planes and a yacht.
Now the country’s richest real estate tycoon, Donald’s company owns 129 million square feet of real estate, with the vast majority in Southern California, including hundreds of office buildings and apartment complexes.
“They are here because they were deprived by Donald Bren of their birthright,” he told the jury. “They had the right to share in his standard of living.”
David Bren and Jennifer McKay Gold at Los Angeles Superior Court in 2010. AP
Donald’s lawyers said his financial support had allowed David and Christie to live a privileged childhood, including private schools, tutoring, fancy cars and homes and exotic vacations.
“It’s not about greed,” Gold said during an appearance on “Good Morning America” in 2010. “It’s actually about protecting their rights according to his promises.”
During the trial, she alleged Donald had vowed to be a part of the children’s lives, and that she and Donald had a “very intimate, loving, passionate relationship” — sharing what she called love notes with the jury.
“Jennifer, the enclosed check is for you to pick out your birthday suit. Love and kisses,” one note said.
Another read: “Happy Valentines Day. You see, I really do care in my own way. Love Donald.”
She also testified that Donald knew she was unable to take an oral contraceptive, and that they had tried “the sponge” but he “didn’t like the way it felt” and that it “irritated him.”
Donald’s Irvine Company owns 129 million square feet of real estate, with the vast majority in Southern California. Google Maps
But Donald testified that the two never lived together, never were in love and that they both dated others – repeatedly calling the relationship “unusual” and “unconventional.”
“I feel for the two children,” he testified in front of David and Christie, “but I believe I have provided for them.”
He said he had been “shocked and surprised” by her pregnancy because Gold had allegedly told him she was “protected,” and that he initially told Gold he wasn’t “even sure the child is mine.”
“Did you ever tell Jennifer you loved her?” Chodos asked him during the trial.
“No, sir,” Donald testified. “Are you sure?” Chodos asked. “I’m sure,” Donald said.
Brigitte and Donald Bren at a gala in Los Angeles in 2010. Jake Novak/BEI / Shutterstock
Donald said that he didn’t even learn of their births until a few months after the fact in phone calls from Gold. The real estate mogul is not listed as the father on their birth certificates, a spokesperson for Donald said at the time.
“This is not a case about whether Mr. Bren was a good father, a bad father or an indifferent father,” his lawyer, John Quinn, said in court at the time.
“He wasn’t around so he wasn’t a father for most of the time…He’s never going to be to those children father of the year.”
The jury ultimately ruled in Donald’s favor, though the billionaire agreed to continue paying for the children’s education until the age of 25.
David turned red during the ruling, according to several reports.
“It was quite cruel,” Gold told “Good Morning America” in 2010 after ruling. “They’re very angry and very hurt.”
Donald and David Bren did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.