TV star hits back after being accused of sexual misconduct
Illusionist David Copperfield says he is the target of "false allegations" after 16 women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct spanning over four decades. The 67 year old has been accused of groping four of the women on stage during live performances, including one when she was 15 years old.
His representatives have denied any allegations of sexual misconduct, after 16 women have accused him in a new investigation. David has been accused of varying degrees of misconduct, with some women claiming the alleged incidents occurred before they were 18 years old.
In an investigation by The Guardian, three accusers claim they were drugged by Copperfield before he had sex with them. More than half of the women say they were under 18, with some as young as 15, although it is stated that Copperfield may not have known their ages.
Responding to the allegations, which span from the 1980s to 2014, a statement from a representative for Copperfield to the PA news agency said: "Everyone that knows David Copperfield will tell you that these recent allegations from one newspaper are the exact opposite of who David is.
"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 statement continued: "The Guardian's characterisation is not who David is, and he 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 be considering the position with his legal team and will take such steps as may be appropriate over these false and scurrilous allegations." Copperfield has previously backed the Me Too movement, saying that it "is crucial and long overdue" while dismissing allegations made against him in 2018.
At the time of the movement, Copperfield issued a lengthy statement after being accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 17 year old girl. Denying allegations against him, Copperfield defended the MeToo movement but insisted to his fans: "Don’t rush to judgement."
He wrote: "Imagine what it’s like, believing in the movement, and having also been falsely accused publicly in the past. 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.
"Knowing that false accusers can negatively impact the believability of others and are a true disservice to those who have been victims of sexual misconduct, I didn’t draw attention to it."
Copperfield has achieved worldwide fame with illusions such as walking through the Great Wall of China and escaping from Alcatraz, making him one of the best known magicians.
