The most famous magician of the last century: Who is David Copperfield?
Famous American magician David Copperfield was accused of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior by 16 women. More than half of the allegations are from women who were under 18 at the time of the incident.
According to the Guardian, three women stated that 67-year-old famous illusionist Copperfield gave them drugs and that they did not feel in a position to say that they did not consent to sexual intercourse. The women who made the accusations stated that they met the illusionist for work.
The allegations, which the 67-year-old illusionist denies, date from the late 1980s to 2014.
The Guardian US is examining these allegations as part of a news series using interviews with more than 100 people and court and police records.
David Seth Kotkin (born September 16, 1956), known professionally as David Copperfield, is an American magician, described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. Copperfield was born David Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, New Jersey, the son of Jewish parents Rebecca Kotkin, an insurance adjuster, and Hyman Kotkin (1922–2006), who owned and operated Korby's, a men's haberdashery in Warren, New Jersey. His mother was born in Jerusalem, while his paternal grandparents were Jewish emigrants from the Ukrainian SSR (present-day Ukraine). In 1974 he graduated from Metuchen High School.
Some of the women told the Guardian they were only able to talk about their experiences after the #MeToo movement. Some agreed to have their names featured in Guardian articles. Those who wish to be quoted on condition of anonymity are marked with an asterisk (*).
Copperfield's lawyers argued that the allegations were "completely false and unreasonable."
Copperfield had previously been accused of sexual abuse. Brittney Lewis, one of the 16 women, told the public in 2018 that Copperfield drugged her and then sexually abused her in 1988 when she was only 17 years old. Copperfield denied the sexual abuse allegations against him at that time.
His name was also mentioned in the Epstein documents
Copperfield was among the high-profile people named in court documents regarding Epstein that became publicly available in January 2024.
Who is David Copperfield?
Copperfield was born on September 16, 1956, in New Jersey, America. He became interested in magic when he was only 12 years old, and at the age of 12, he became the youngest magician accepted into the Association of American Magicians. At the age of 16, he started giving lectures on magic at New York University.
He started his higher education at Fordham University at the age of 18, and in the same year, he began starring in the Chicago musical "The Magic Man". Here he adopted his new stage name; "David Copperfield". This musical became the longest-running show on the Chicago stages. Copperfield's success in this musical attracted the attention of CBS channel officials and they signed a contract with the magician for the show called "The Magic of David Copperfield". This show was broadcast in 40 countries.
He took on the role of magician Ken in the 1980 horror film "Terror Train". He also appeared in the 1994 movie "Prêt-à-Porter". In 1982, Copperfield started a rehabilitation program called "Project Magic". In this program, disabled people were helped to regain their former abilities. Additionally, this program has been implemented in around 1000 hospitals around the world.
One of David Copperfield's dreams was to open two magic-themed restaurants called "Magic Underground". One of these restaurants would be located in New York and the other would be located in Walt Disney World. In these high-tech restaurants, tables would be able to fly in the air and waiters would be able to perform magic shows. However, this project could not be realized in both New York and Walt Disney World.
Another project of David Copperfield was to collect and store safely all kinds of antique books and publications examining the history of the art of magic for future generations. The illusionist's extensive collection in this area, known as the "International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts", is currently located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to Forbes Magazine's research, David Copperfield became the 10th highest-earning celebrity in the world with an annual income of $57 million in 2003. It is known that he earned an income of 57 million dollars in 2004 and 2005. The magician performed 500 shows a year all over the world.
David Copperfield got engaged to top model Claudia Shiffer after 6 years of relationship, but the couple decided to part ways in 1999. During this tie, many rumors arose that Schiffer had been paid to appear alongside Copperfield, and the German newspaper Bild published the agreement between the two. The statements of the father of Schiffer's next boyfriend, Tim Jeffries, brought the rumors to the surface again; He claimed that Copperfield and Schiffer were never together and that they were just hanging around together to create a tabloid agenda. The duo denied this claim.
In February 2006, Copperfield's father, Hy, died in San Diego. Copperfield created a website for his father, who accompanies his son on most of his tours. In April 2006, Copperfield and his two assistants were attacked with a gun in Florida. His assistants gave the robbers their mobile phones, passports, and all their money, and Copperfield escaped the robbery without losing anything. The thieves were caught a short time later and thrown into prison.
David Copperfield claimed that he found the "Elixir of Youth" in 4 islets in the Bahamas and that the waters on these islands brought dead leaves and dead insects back to life. He also said that he sent several biologists to these islands to investigate the impact of this event on humans.
Copperfield has won 21 Emmy Awards. He also entered the Guinness Book of Records as the showman who sold the most tickets in a solo show. It also holds the record for the maximum number of tickets sold in a week on Broadway. He is also listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the magician who has won the most awards in world history. He is also the first magician to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Illusionist Copperfield is 1.83 meters tall. His favorite color is black. His favorite movies are 1941's "Citizen Kane" and 1939's "The Wizard of Oz."