A new wave of accusations: David Copperfield and teenage models
Shortly after 16 women accused David Copperfield of inappropriate behaviour, new accusations surfaced. A second investigation by "The Guardian" revealed that the magician preyed on teenage models during contests in which he participated.
David Copperfield has long enjoyed celebrity status as a magician. However, recently, he has been in the spotlight not for his tricks but for allegations of sexual misconduct. "The Guardian" conducted a journalistic investigation, which revealed sixteen cases of female exploitation, with half of them possibly being underage at the time. Some were just 15 years old.
Journalists found that in three cases, Copperfield allegedly gave drugs to the victims. These allegations span his entire career from the late 1980s to 2014. Copperfield's legal team described them as false accusations.
It turns out that the case with the accusations doesn't end there. The second investigation by "The Guardian" regarding Copperfield discovered that the magician used his fame to harass teenage aspiring models who participated in "The Look of the Year" contests in 1988 and 1991. Many women told the newspaper that after the events, Copperfield called their homes and invited them to his shows.
Copperfield had a reputation as a "pervert"
Jennifer Diaz, who participated in the 1991 contest, called these calls "absolutely predatory behaviour." She added that during an event where the magician was on the jury, he called her hotel room to ask what she was wearing and suggested she come to him.
Another model, who did not want to disclose her name, told "The Guardian" that she accepted Copperfield's invitations to attend his show with her family. Backstage, the magician allegedly separated the then 17-year-old girl from her parents, grabbed her breasts, and pushed her onto a couch. The woman, now 52 years old, said that Copperfield only stopped when she ordered him to. After this incident, the magician continued to call her.
The "Guardian" article also included accounts from men who participated in "Look of the Year" in 1991. Ohah Oman, one of the journalists, claims to have seen Copperfield flirting with a 16-year-old model from Israel. "Lots of people in the industry knew of his reputation as a creep. It was obvious," said fashion photographer Roberto Rabanne, who took photos and videos for Elite during the event.
Copperfield's lawyers have vehemently denied the latest allegations. Considering what is happening around the magician, one can assume that similar allegations regarding his behaviour will only increase.
