David Copperfield Faces Sexual Misconduct Allegations from 16 Women

David Copperfield, the renowned American magician, is facing allegations of sexual misconduct from 16 women. According to an investigation by the U.S. edition of The Guardian published this Wednesday, over 50% of the accusations come from women who claim they were under 18 at the time of the alleged incidents. Some even stated they were as young as 15, although it is suggested that Copperfield may not have been aware of their ages.

Three of the women accuse him of drugging them to engage in sexual activities, rendering them unable to give consent. The celebrated 67-year-old illusionist has denied all allegations, which span from the late 1980s to 2014, according to the British media outlet's U.S. edition.

Investigation Details

For this report, The Guardian conducted interviews with at least 100 people and examined court and police records. The investigation found that some of the accusers claimed to have met Copperfield through his work as one of the world's most successful performers. Some women agreed to be named in the articles, while others requested anonymity, omitting their last names.

Copperfield's lawyers told the newspaper that he has never behaved inappropriately with anyone, much less with minors. They asserted that a "truthful" description of the magician would highlight his "kindness, shyness, and respectful treatment of men and women." They also noted that Copperfield has encouraged women to come forward and share their stories of alleged abuse. They emphasized that the magician has previously been the victim of numerous false allegations.

Brittney Lewis is one of the 16 women allegedly abused by the illusionist. However, her story is not new; since 2018, she has accused Copperfield of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1988 when she was a 17-year-old model. The accusations were published in The Wrap, an entertainment news website, and were denied by Copperfield.

A similar pattern was reported by Gillian, who claimed that she and a friend were drugged and sexually abused, unable to give consent. Copperfield's lawyers refuted Gillian's accusations, adding that such complaints were allegedly made against him at the venues where he performed during that time.

Four other complaints come from women who stated that the illusionist groped them or forced them to touch him sexually during live stage performances. Three of them were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents. Copperfield's legal representatives denied these accusations, calling them "completely false and implausible."

One woman who did formally file a complaint was Fallon Thornton, 38. She told The Guardian that in January 2014, at the MGM Grand hotel-casino, Copperfield grabbed her breast after calling her onstage during a performance. Thornton reported the incident to the hotel and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, according to records, but authorities closed the case due to a lack of evidence.

Copperfield's lawyers argued that video footage of the performance attended by Thornton did not show the magician committing sexual assault. However, neither Copperfield's attorneys, the Las Vegas police, nor MGM shared the footage with The Guardian, despite requests. The entertainment and gaming conglomerate, where Copperfield has regularly performed since 2000, declined to comment on the alleged 2014 incident or other accusations against the illusionist.