David Copperfield, the renowned American magician, has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior from 16 women, according to an investigation.
Over half of these allegations involve women who claimed they were under 18 at the time of the incidents, with some stating they were as young as 15. It is noted that Copperfield may not have been aware of their ages.
The allegations against David Copperfield include claims that he drugged three women before engaging in sexual relations with them, making them unable to consent.
These allegations, which Copperfield has denied, span from the late 1980s to 2014. The source is investigating these claims as part of a series of stories based on interviews with over 100 individuals, as well as court and police records.
The women who have come forward with allegations against David Copperfield reportedly met him through his work as a highly successful entertainer.
Some of these women mentioned that it was only after the #MeToo movement gained momentum that they felt empowered to speak out about their experiences with Copperfield.
While some agreed to be named in the source’s articles, others requested anonymity. Copperfield, when asked about the claims, denied any wrongdoing.
His lawyers stated that he has never acted inappropriately with anyone, especially not anyone underage. They described Copperfield as kind, shy, and respectful towards both men and women.
Additionally, they highlighted his support for the #MeToo movement and mentioned previous instances of what they termed as “numerous false claims” against him.
Brittney Lewis went public in 2018 with allegations that David Copperfield had drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1988, when she was 17 years old. He denied these claims, which were published in another article.
Another woman has now told about a similar experience, alleging that she and a friend were drugged and unable to consent before Copperfield engaged in sexual activity with each of them.
Another woman has alleged that she and a friend had a similar experience, stating that they were both drugged and unable to consent before David Copperfield had sexual relations with each of them.
“I … would never just say this to somebody if I didn’t truly, honest to God believe that I was drugged at that time,” said Gillian*, who said she agreed to meet Copperfield for a drink in 1993, following one of his shows.
Lawyers for David Copperfield have denied Gillian’s allegations, stating that no such claims or complaints were made against him at the venues where he was performing at the time. They also emphasized that drugs were “not a part of his world.”
In four additional cases, women have claimed that David Copperfield groped them or made them touch him in a sexual manner during live performances on stage.
Three of these women were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents. Family members of one 15-year-old girl, who were seated in the audience, claim they witnessed him grope her breasts.
Lawyers for Copperfield have vehemently denied these claims, stating that allegations of him touching women inappropriately are “not only completely false but also entirely implausible.”
Fallon Thornton, 38, reported that Copperfield squeezed her breast after calling her on stage during a January 2014 performance at MGM Grand casino-hotel.
She reported the allegation to MGM and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, but felt her claim was not taken seriously. The Las Vegas police informed that they closed the case due to “insufficient evidence.”
Copperfield’s lawyers also alleged that law enforcement at the time informed Copperfield’s team that video footage of the performance Thornton attended did not show him touching “the chest area” of any participant.
Despite requests, neither Copperfield’s lawyers, Las Vegas police, nor MGM shared footage of the performance.
MGM, the entertainment and gaming conglomerate where David Copperfield has been a regular performer since 2000, declined to comment on the alleged 2014 incident or other allegations against him.
David Copperfield has faced additional scrutiny due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, the indicted child sex trafficker who died in prison in 2019.
Copperfield was among the high-profile individuals named in Epstein-related court documents that were unsealed in January.
It’s important to note that the inclusion of Copperfield’s name in these documents does not imply that he committed a crime.
According to one sworn statement, Copperfield asked a woman—who later emerged as one of Epstein’s victims—whether she was “aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls” for Epstein.
