David Copperfield was a household name at one point due to his reality-defying illusions. The magician did not just cater to children but his illusions entranced adults as well.
In recent years, however, his legacy has been marred by horrific allegations that have come out against him. Now the magician has finally addressed them, keep reading to learn more.
David Copperfield is facing a new set of allegations of misconduct from over a dozen women. At least half of these women say they were underage at the time they were allegedly groped or groomed by the famous magician.
Earlier this week, a lengthy exposé was published online which detailed the stories of multiple women who alleged that they had been preyed upon by the 67-year-old. Copperfield, who is the highest-paid magician in the world with a net worth of $875 million according to Forbes has been accused of drugging at least three of these women before his sexual encounters with them; meaning these women were unable to consent.
Sixteen women talked to the outlet that published the exposé, and three of them alleged that Copperfield groped them while they were on stage and one of them said her family had seen the assault. The incidents reported spanned over the course of his career; ranging from the 1980s to as recent as 2014.
One victim who spoke under a pseudonym to the outlet said that Copperfield had allegedly given her his phone number when she was only 15 years old and would send her gifts. She reported receiving a teddy bear for Valentine’s Day. She said when she was only 16, he allegedly sent her a note which read, “In 2 years I will be back.”
The same woman said that Copperfield was the first person she had sex with. While the sexual encounter happened after she had turned 18, she said when she was 17, he had allegedly kissed her and “pushed her head towards his crotch.”
“I was not forced but I remember feeling awkward as I’d never done that before,” she said as she described what had happened in the entertainer’s limousine.
Another woman shared her story, saying that she had attended one of his shows in Las Vegas in the 1990s, and had been picked out of the crowd to be on stage with him. After the show, she had been asked to join the magician for the drink with her friend. When they arrived to his quarters, the women were given a glass of sambuca but the drink made her feel “weird, physically weird,” she recalled.
She described that she began to feel ‘fuzzy’ and blacked out. When she regained consciousness, she was naked in Copperfield’s bed and awoke to him having sex with both her and her friend.
“I am 56 years old now,” she said. “Never in my life have I had a time where I don’t consciously remember [a period of time] … I would never just say this to somebody if I didn’t truly, honest to God believe that I was drugged at that time.”
Representatives for the magician have addressed the allegations and are vehemently denying all accusations leveled against the magician. In a statement, they said the allegations were “false and scurrilous allegations.”
The statement read, “Everyone that knows David Copperfield will tell you that these recent allegations from one newspaper are the exact opposite of who David is. In fact, David has a record of risking his career to help protect women from powerful predators. Most of these historic accusations have been made before, and all of them are as false now as they were then.”
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“David requested the ‘evidence’ upon which these false allegations claim to rely and this has not been provided. By contrast, whenever US law enforcement has looked into such matters, they have been investigated thoroughly and it has been found that there is simply no case to answer. The Guardian’s characterization is not who David is, and he continues to support anyone who has experienced any form of abuse or discrimination. The movement must succeed, but false accusations must stop for it to flourish,” his rep said in the statement.
The statement ends, “David will be considering the position with his legal team and will take such steps as may be appropriate over these false and scurrilous allegations.”
In 2018, Copperfield lent his support to the #MeToo movement as allegations against Harvey Weinstein were just emerging. He also shared his perspective as someone he believed had been “falsely accused” of wrongdoing.
“We all want people who feel they’ve been victims of sexual misconduct to be empowered, and as a rule we should listen, so more will feel comfortable coming forward. It’s important,” he said at that time. “But imagine what it’s like, believing in the movement, and having also been falsely accused publicly in the past.”
In 2007, Copperfield had been publically accused of luring a former beauty pageant model to his private island in the Bahamas and then proceeding to sexually assault her. The FBI began investigating the case but eventually dropped it.
These allegations are truly horrific, and hopefully, justice will be served. What do you think about the allegations leveled against David Copperfield? Tell us in the comments.
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