Magician David Copperfield Accused of Grooming, Groping, and Drugging Girls

Sixteen ladies americans shared misconduct allegations in a original Guardian document, with several asserting the incidents occurred when they were under 18

Magician David Copperfield is going by scheme of allegations of drugging ladies americans earlier than sexual encounters, groping ladies americans all the scheme by scheme of dwell performances, and behaving inappropriately with ladies americans who were vastly youthful than him — along side under 18 — in a original investigative section in The Guardian.

The chronicle contains allegations from 16 ladies americans, spanning four a long time, from the Eighties to 2014. Over half of those ladies americans mentioned they were under 18 at the time of the alleged incidents, with the two youngest victims claiming they were 15 at the time (although there became as soon as no evidence to counsel Copperfield became as soon as conscious of their ages when they met).

A diffusion of 15-year-olds, identified as Carla (now not her proper name), mentioned Copperfield “groomed” her for more than two years after he gave her his mobile phone number following a 1991 show. The magician allegedly called her at dwelling in most cases and sent her cards and gifts, along side one, which Carla received when she became as soon as 16, that mentioned: “In 2 years I will most seemingly be lend a hand.”

Copperfield became as soon as the first person Carla had sex with after she turned 18, she mentioned. A year prior, Carla alleged an come upon in Copperfield’s limousine, all the scheme by scheme of which she mentioned the magician kissed and pushed her head in direction of his crotch (Carla mentioned she believed Copperfield plot she’d turned 18 already). “I became as soon as now not forced, however I bear in mind feeling awkward as I’d never performed that earlier than,” Carla mentioned. 

She added: “I became as soon as a young schoolgirl infatuated with a one who became as soon as eminent, and I have confidence he former that to learn him. Why would he proceed to reach out to me by scheme of those years if he wasn’t planning on pouncing as soon as I turned 18?”

Copperfield’s lawyers denied the total allegations against him as “spurious and fully with out foundation,” adding that he’d “never, ever acted inappropriately with somebody, now not to verbalize somebody underage.” (Particularly referring to Carla, they denied the grooming claim and called the pair’s relationship “consensual.)

Furthermore, the magician’s legal educated accused The Guardian of working a “hit section” stuffed with allegations which will most seemingly be “completely unsupported by any legal evidence.” Additionally they licensed that “hundreds of spurious claims” had been leveled against Copperfield earlier than, none of which had been proven. They mentioned such habits “is the opposite of all the pieces [Copperfield] stands for and works exhausting for.” 

In a press originate, a representative for Copperfield mentioned: “All americans that is conscious of David Copperfield will tell you that these fresh allegations from one newspaper are the snarl opposite of who David is. In fact, David has a document of risking his career to attend protect ladies americans from extremely effective predators. All these historic accusations were made earlier than, and all of them are as spurious now as they were then. David requested the ‘evidence’ upon which these spurious allegations claim to count and this has now not been supplied. By inequity, at any time when US law enforcement has seemed into such issues, they were investigated thoroughly and it has been stumbled on that there might perchance be merely no case to retort to. The Guardian’s characterization is now not who David is, and he continues to reduction somebody who has experienced any glean of abuse or discrimination. The circulation must succeed, however spurious accusations must cease for it to flourish. David will most seemingly be inquisitive in regards to the place along with his legal group and will plot shut such steps as will most seemingly be appropriate over these spurious and scurrilous allegations.”

A form of Copperfield’s victims mentioned they met the magician at his reveals. A complete lot of former workers recalled the magician asking assistants to search out resplendent young ladies americans within the crowds and place a question to of them to either plot shut half within the reveals or meet Copperfield afterward. One former assistant mentioned she quit thanks to Copperfield’s habits in direction of ladies americans and teenage ladies; one other mentioned she started asking ladies americans within the gang their ages and, if they were under 18, told them to return to their households.

Along with a denial from Copperfield’s lawyers, varied former workers — along side an government assistant and his ex-security supervisor — mentioned they never noticed anything else uncommon or execrable.

Four ladies americans who did be half of Copperfield on stage all mentioned that, all the scheme by scheme of the performance, the magician either made them contact him in execrable methods or groped them. One lady, Lily, mentioned Copperfield touched her breasts on stage when she became as soon as 15, an incident her father and sister mentioned they remembered witnessing within the gang. But one more lady, Olivia, mentioned she became as soon as 17 when Copperfield touched her “between the anus and vagina” over her clothes while main her to the stage; she when put next it to a “sleight of hand” trick. (Copperfield’s lawyers called this claim “patently absurd.”)

Gillian mentioned she became as soon as in her 20s when Copperfield picked her to be half of him on stage for a trick within the early Nineties. Afterward, as she and a friend waited in line for an autograph, one amongst the magician’s assistants allegedly requested them if they desired to be half of Copperfield for a drink later. Gillian mentioned they later arrived in Copperfield’s non-public suite at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where they were handed a glass of sambuca. Gillian mentioned she began to feel “uncommon, physically uncommon” after one drink and, after that, “all the pieces became as soon as legal fuzzy… I actually blacked out for some time, and I don’t variety that.” 

Gillian mentioned she recalled “patches” between blacking out, along side memories of Copperfield having sex with her and her friend. Gillian mentioned she believed neither she nor her friend had been ready to consent. (Along with denying the allegation, Copperfield’s lawyers and several of his former workers mentioned he didn’t employ or lift spherical treatment for any motive.)

“I am 56 years mature now,” Gillian mentioned. “By no system in my life secure I had a time where I don’t consciously bear in mind [a period of time] … I would never legal verbalize this to any individual if I didn’t in point of fact, accurate to God imagine that I became as soon as drugged within the mean time.” 

This chronicle became as soon as updated 5/15/24 @ 3:04 p.m. ET with a press originate from a Copperfield representative.