From Old Pals to New Enemies
In 1983, Geffen made a famous move of suing Neil Young for making “musically uncharacteristic” records. He not only made an enemy of Young but of his longtime partner Elliot Roberts, too. “We stopped hanging out at that point,” Roberts revealed. “I couldn’t trust him anymore, and he couldn’t trust me. Horrible. It ended our friendship.”
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images / Jack Robinson, Getty Images
Meanwhile, Joni Mitchell blamed her commercial failure on Geffen, claiming that he didn’t pay her publishing royalties. More than a few times, their interactions ended in screaming matches in Geffen’s office, Joni demanding to be released from her contract. His old pals became his new enemies.