Is Michael Avenatti Married? New Details About His Wife, Their Divorce And If He's Dating Christie Brinkley
Who is Stormy Daniel's lawyer and is he dating Christie Brinkely?
Instagram Lately, it seems like you can't turn on cable news without seeing the chiseled jawline and perfect shaved head of Michael Avenatti. The lawyer has risen to notoriety for defending Stephanie Clifford — better known as Stormy Daniels — in her suit against Donald Trump. The actress and director alleges she had an affair with Trump in 2006 when he as doing The Apprentice.
In 2016, just before the election, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen arranged for Daniels to sign a non-disclosure agreement and paid her $130,000 to never speak of the affair again. Daniels says the contract is void because Trump never signed it and there are some big questions about whether the agreement violated campaign finance law.
Daniels has done one blockbuster interview with Anderson Cooper but since that aired in March, she's stayed off TV and let her lawyer take the PR lead on the case. Avenatti is made for TV with his smoldering looks and aggressive style. He's even earn the nickname 'Hottie Avenatti.'
So who is Michael Avenatti? And is Michael Avenatti dating Christie Brinkley? Here's everything you need to know about the lawyer who took on the client who's trying to take down a president.
1. He WAS married.
Avenatti married Lisa Storie in 2011. Storie has a background in business and is currently the owner and CEO of Ikaria Resort Wear, a luxury clothing line. She previously worked for Demandware and GSI Digital Commerce. She and Avenatti have a three year old child together.
2. But not anymore.
Back in 2017, Storie kicked Avenatti out of their Newport Beach, CA home and changed the locks. No details have emerged yet about what caused the blow-up between the couple but he filed divorce papers shortly after that.
3. He's a big time lawyer.
Avenatti went to University of Pennsylvania for undergad and George Washington University for law school. Over the course of his career, he's been involved in really high-profile cases. He's sued the NFL, KPMG, and medical supply companies. Hes also defended clients like Jim Carey and Paris Hilton. His career has been so impressive that his law school named an award after him.
But even though he shares an alma mater with Donald Trump, he says the similarities end there telling the AP, "I'm not a guy that was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and a real estate portfolio in Manhattan. I'm a street fighter with an Ivy League degree."
4. He's a part time race-car driver.
Known to his professors and colleagues as an adrenaline junkie, he enjoys professional racing. His bio picture on his website even shows him in a racing jumpsuit. From 2010 to 2015, he drove in professional races in America and Europe.
5. He had a thing with McDreamy.
Not THAT kind of thing, though that would be totally hot. In 2013, actor Patrick Dempsey partnered with Avenatti to buy out Tully's, a failing coffee shop chain. Dempsey backed out of the partnership after discovering Avenatti took out a loan for the purchase, instead of financing it himself as he told Dempsey he would do. A brief legal scuffle followed but the two ended on polite terms.
6. He's never watched any Stormy Daniels movies.
When he agreed to represent Stormy Daniels in March, he did his research on his new client. However he claims that didn't include watching the adult films she's acted in and directed. He tells the Washington Post, “Have I ever viewed pornography? Yes. Have I ever viewed her work? No.”
7. His romantic life is a mystery.
Aside form his marriage to Storie, Avenatti's personal life looks like a blank slate. You would think the a guy with Hollywood heavyweight clients like Patrick Dempsey might have been seen out on the town with starlets or industry executives, but there's nothing when you search for his past as a single guy.
8. Except for this thing he has with Christie Brinkley.
This past weekend, Christie Brinkley was spotted dining with her family at American Hotel in Sag Harbor, NY. Avenatti pulled up a chair and joined Brinkey and her kids toward the end of her meal. The kids headed home but Brinkley and Avenatti stayed put, chatting and laughing.
Are they dating? He tells TMZ they're just friends, saying she's a "classy, smart woman with great insight."
So is Avenatti single? We're not sure but if ready for tv lawyers with smoldering good looks are your thing, take your shot.
Rebekah Kuschmider is a DC area writer with a background in non-profit management and advocacy Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and is a contributor the book Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox . She is a cohost of the weekly political podcast The More Perfect Union.