Magician David Copperfield accused of sexual assault by 16 women ‘with half of attacks when victims were underage’
FAMED magician David Copperfield has been accused of sexual assault by 16 woman with more than half of them thought to have been underage at the time of the supposed attacks.
The bombshell claims against the 67-year-old include allegations of him drugging at least three of the alleged victims before engaging in nonconsensual sexual acts with them, the Guardian US has reported.
Some of the victims say they were just 15 years old during the assaults.
All of the allegations are believed to have spanned across decades between the late 1980s up to 2014.
The three women who say they were drugged claimed they felt as if they were unable to consent to any form of sexual activity.
The illusionist icon has denied all of the allegations against him through his lawyers.
When approached, Copperfield’s team said he has “never acted inappropriately with anyone, let alone anyone underage”.
He has always treated “men and women with respect” and has been “a champion of the #MeToo movement” in the past, encouraging victims to come forward.
They also said there had previously been “numerous false claims” made against him.
Copperfield may have been unaware of the ages of the girls during the alleged incidents.
The shock claims were uncovered by a Guardian US investigation where they spoke to over 100 people and examined both court and police records.
During the investigations into the alleged abuse, the women say they met Copperfield through his work as a magician and entertainer.
Some of his accusers explained to the Guardian they decided it was the right time to come forward after the success of the #MeToo movement.
Several high profile men were caught up in allegations around their alleged treatment of women as part of the incredibly important movement.
One of those who was made to answer for decades of abusive behaviour was US film producer Harvey Weinstein who is currently in prison for rape charges on an actress in 2013.
THE ACCUSATIONS
One of Copperfield’s accusers, Brittney Lewis, claimed he drugged and assaulted her in 1988 when she was a 17-year-old model.
Copperfield denied the accusations.
As another woman, who the Guardian called Gillian in their investigation, says she and her friend were allegedly drugged by Copperfield.
Gillian claimed he went on to have sex with them both despite them not giving consent.
Copperfield’s lawyers said drugs aren’t “part of his world” as they denied Gillian’s allegations.
A quarter of the alleged abuse allegations come from women saying Copperfield groped them or made them touch him in a sexual way during live shows.
Three were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents with family members of a 15-year-old girl claiming they witnessed Copperfield grope her breasts.
His lawyers said the families statements were “not only completely false but also entirely implausible”.
Another woman made similar claims saying she had her breast squeezed during a 2014 performance in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police records show Fallon Thornton reported the incident but that the case was quickly closed die to “insufficient evidence”.
Copperfield’s team say cops saw video of the alleged groping and determined the illusionist didn’t touch “the chest area” of anyone at the show.
Back in 2018, a British beauty queen went to the City of London police to report an alleged sexual assault by Copperfield.
The woman – a student at the time of the alleged attack – says he molested her on stage during a trick with hundreds watching on at his magic show in Canada.
Copperfield again denied the claims and it is unclear if the woman is part of the 16 victims in the Guardian investigation.
Several of the women who came forwards with their stories of alleged abuse claimed Copperfield would promise to help their careers.
They saw he would also try to stay in contact with family members after the alleged incidents occurred.
One woman, named as Carla by the Guardian, claims she would receive late night phone calls from Copperfield when she was 15.
Carla met him at a show in 1991 and explained that looking back now she thinks she was groomed as according to her, tickets and gifts would arrive at her house from Copperfield.
The woman continued saying when she turned 18 the pair had consensual sex.
According to Copperfield’s lawyers, Carla was romantically involved with the celebrity for a four-year period but that it was legal, appropriate and consensual at all times.
The lawyers said Copperfield “strongly denies any suggestion of grooming or any other impropriety”.
Copperfield's response
A REPRESENTATIVE for David Copperfield made the following statement:
“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.
“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.
“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 2007, Copperfield was at the heart of a two-year FBI investigation after a former beauty queen, Lacey Carroll, claimed she was raped at her home in the Bahamas by the magician.
The public case saw Copperfield come under fire for the allegations but the case was completely closed with no wrongdoing found on Copperfield’s part.
Carroll was later charged with making false sexual assault accusations.
Copperfield went onto Oprah in 2012 to speak on the claims, saying: “I was the victim.
“To be falsely accused of something horrendous is devastating for yourself, your friends, your family, really bad.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.