Bren, ex-lover dispute relationship

Uh-oh, another one of those he said, she said things. This time, it's the child support case involving billionaire developer Donald Bren and his one-time girlfriend, Jennifer Gold. Bren's two adult kids have sued him for back child support, claiming that they're owed $134 million. Taking the stand in Superior Court today, Bren insisted that theirs was a loveless, non-exclusive relationship (You mean the old geezer was in it strictly for the dipsy-doodling? I'm shocked!) "I felt betrayed in that she had promised me she was protected and obviously she wasn't," Bren testified. From the OC Register:

"Did you ever tell Jennifer you loved her?" [plaintiff attorney Hillel Chodos] asked Bren.

"No, sir."

"You sure?"

"I am sure."

Bren wanted to keep the births of Christie and David private. In the written agreements with Gold, she was prevented from disclosing to anyone Bren's paternity. Also included in the first contract was the provision that Gold give birth to Christie out of state - in Aspen, Colo. Bren testified that he feared he may be subject to extortion or blackmail if word of his two out-of-wedlock children got out.

Gold, an actress and model, doesn't quite remember it that way:

Directly following Bren's testimony, Gold took the stand and painted a starkly different view of their relationship, testifying that both of them expressed love for each other and that Bren knew she wasn't using a contraceptive when his children were conceived. "He said, 'That was nice,''' Gold testified about Bren's response to learning she was pregnant with their first child. "Did he express shock or dismay?" plaintiff attorney Hillel Chodos asked Gold. "No, he didn't actually," Gold testified.

Chodos will apparently introduce photos and letters that suggest a more intense relationship than Bren had let on. Bren's lawyers say they'll show that the two children, now 18 and 22, led privileged lives that included private schooling and tutoring, fancy cars and homes, and exotic vacations. I don't know whether the truth will ever come out in this thing, but it's certainly an entertaining way to spend the last few weeks of summer.

Photo: Jennifer Gold in Superior Court (OC Register)