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Magician David Copperfield has been accused of sexual misconduct by 16 different women, with more than half claiming they were underage when they interacted with the performer.
The claims were made as part of a years-long campaign investigation by the Guardian newspaper’s US bureau, which reported on allegations dating from the late 1980s to 2014.
The allegations against Copperfield, 67, range from alleged drug abuse, sexual assault and groping.
Many of the women claim that Copperfield said he would help them establish a career in modeling or entertainment. More than half of the accusers said they met Copperfield at one of her shows.
Copperfield has denied all allegations against him. The illusionist’s lawyers told The Guardian that Copperfield “never acted inappropriately with anyone, much less with any minor.” His lawyers maintain that the magician is someone who shows “kindness, shyness and treats men and women with respect.”
Lawyers said it was “not only completely false but also completely implausible” that Copperfield would ever touch a woman inappropriately.
As for the allegations of drugging women, Copperfield’s lawyers said drugs “are not part of his world.”
Copperfield has never been charged with any crime, his attorneys noted.
A woman included in the Guardian investigation, Brittney Lewis, went public with her allegations against Copperfield in 2018. She said he drugged her in 1988, when she was 17, and then sexually assaulted her.
The magician denied Lewis’ allegations in 2018 when he publicly discussed them.
Now, two more anonymous women have told The Guardian that Copperfield also drugged and sexually assaulted them. The women, who are friends, said they met Copperfield for drinks after one of his shows in 1993. They told the newspaper they were unable to consent to having sex with him and “passed out” in his room. of hotel.
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Four other women said Copperfield touched them or forced them to touch him in a sexual manner during his stage performances. Three of the four women were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents. One woman said she was 15 when Copperfield allegedly touched her breasts on stage without consent, while her family watched from the audience.
A different, anonymous woman told The Guardian that she was also 15 when she met Copperfield at a show in 1991. The pair kept in touch for years, but the woman now says she was “groomed” by the illusionist, who once once sent him a card. When she was 16 years old she said: “In 2 years I will return.” The woman said she and Copperfield had consensual sex when she was 18 and it was her first time.
Copperfield’s lawyers denied that he groomed the accuser and said she and Copperfield had a consensual relationship for four years.
A groping allegation against Copperfield has Canadian roots, stemming from a show in Hamilton, Ont. in 1996. The accuser said she was 17 when Copperfield invited her on stage. She allegedly touched her inappropriately “between the anus and vagina” in front of the crowd. She filed a police report in 2018.
Another woman, Fallon Thornton, 38, reported Copperfield to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department after he allegedly squeezed her breast when she came onstage during a 2014 performance at the MGM Grand hotel-casino. The Guardian obtained police records of the alleged incident, which noted that the case was closed due to “insufficient evidence.”
These 16 women are not the first to accuse Copperfield of sexual misconduct, cases his lawyers called “numerous false accusations” that already exist against him.
The Guardian said its extensive reporting was based on interviews with more than 100 people, as well as court and police records.
In a statement to Global News, a representative for Copperfield maintained his innocence.
“Everyone who knows David Copperfield will tell you that these recent newspaper allegations are the exact opposite of who David is. “In fact, David has a history of risking his career to help protect women from powerful predators,” the statement reads. “Most of these historic accusations have been made before and they are all as false now as they were then. David requested the “evidence” on which these false accusations claim to be based and has not been provided with it. To the contrary, whenever American law enforcement has investigated these matters, they have done so thoroughly and found that there is simply no case to answer.”
The statement continues: “The Guardian’s characterization is not who David is, and it 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 consider the position with his legal team and take whatever action is appropriate in the face of these false and defamatory allegations.”
In January, Copperfield’s name was revealed in documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, among several other high-profile people. One of Epstein’s victims named Copperfield in a 2016 deposition related to a defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, saying she met the magician when he was performing tricks at a dinner party.
The presence of Copperfield’s name on documents related to Epstein does not directly mean that he committed a crime. His lawyers said Copperfield “had no knowledge or belief that anything inappropriate was happening” with Epstein.
“Like the rest of the world, he found out from the press,” his lawyers said of Epstein’s crimes, adding that Copperfield did not regularly socialize with Epstein.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Crime Victims Resource Center for help. You can also contact them toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
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