Magician David Copperfield has been accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior by 16 women in a new investigation conducted by the Guardian newspaper.
The allegations against the famous illusionist, age 67, span three decades, according to the Guardian, dating from the late 1980s to 2014.
Among the chief claims are that Copperfield “drugged three women before he had sexual relations with them, which they felt they were unable to consent to,” and that some women said they were as young as 15 when they encountered him.
Copperfield denied any wrongdoing and his lawyers told the Guardian that he “never acted inappropriately with anyone, let alone anyone underage.”
One woman, identified only as Gillian, told the publication that she was drugged and unable to consent to sexual relations with Copperfield after agreeing to meet him following a show in 1993.
“I … would never just say this to somebody if I didn’t truly, honest to God believe that I was drugged at that time,” she said.
Lawyers for Copperfield denied the woman’s claims and said drugs are “not a part of his world,” the Guardian reports.
In a lengthy statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a representative for Copperfield further denied the claims against him.
“Everyone that knows David Copperfield will tell you that these recent allegations from one newspaper are the exact opposite of who David is,” the representative said. “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 statement continued.
“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,” it concluded.
Copperfield has denied accusations of sexual misconduct in the past, including claims made against him in 2007 and 2018, when he faced allegations of drugging and assaulting a 17-year-old model.
At the time, Copperfield said in a statement posted on X that “I’ve lived with years of news reports about me being accused of fabricated, heinous acts, with few telling the story of the accuser getting arrested, and my innocence.” He went on to ask fans not to “rush to judgment.”
Copperfield is best known for his ambitious magical illusions, many of which have been televised, including making the Statue of Liberty disappear and reappear and escaping Alcatraz in the 1980s. In recent years, he has been best known for his Las Vegas residency at the MGM Grand.
Us Weekly has contacted Copperfield’s representatives for further comment.
