Magician David Copperfield blasts ‘false and implausible’ allegations after 16 women accuse him of sexual misconduct-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

David Copperfield’s representatives have denied any allegations of sexual misconduct (Picture: Don Arnold/WireImage)

David Copperfield’s representatives have denied any allegations of sexual misconduct, after 16 women have accused him in a new investigation.

The 67-year-old 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.

The allegations go back to the 1980s, with the most recent claiming to have occurred in 2014.

One woman says she agreed to meet the illusionist and TV star for a drink in 1993 after one of his shows, but alleges that she and a friend were drugged and unable to consent before he allegedly had sex with each of them.

His lawyers have denied these allegations to the publication, and stated drugs are ‘not a part of his world’.

Four other cases involve women claiming Copperfield groped them or made them touch him in a sexual way, while they were on stage with him during live performances.

16 women have accused him of varying degrees of sexual misconduct, some of whom allege they were groped on stage (Picture: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

A family of one 15-year-old who were in the audience at one of the live shows claim they saw Copperfield grope her breasts.

His lawyers told the publication that such claims were ‘not only completely false but also entirely implausible’.

Another woman, who was 15 in 1991 when the alleged misconduct began, says she feels ‘groomed’ after Copperfield began calling her late at night and sending her gifts and tickets.

She says they had consensual sex after she turned 18, and it was her first time.

Copperfield’s lawyers said he ‘strongly denies any suggestion of grooming or any other impropriety’.

A representative for Copperfield told Metro.co.uk: ‘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.

Copperfield previously denied accusations of sexual assault when they first arose several years ago (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)

‘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 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.’

In 2018, Copperfield spoke out saying the #MeToo movement was ‘crucial and long overdue’ after being accused of sexual assault himself.

He called for people to ‘not rush to judgement’ and detailed how he had been accused of ‘fabricated, heinous acts.’

In 2018, Copperfield spoke out saying the #MeToo movement was ‘crucial and long overdue’ after being accused of sexual assault himself. (Picture: Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

He said at the time: ‘The #MeToo movement is crucial and long overdue. We all want people who feel they’ve been victims of sexual misconduct to be empowered, and as a rule we should listen, so more will feel comfortable coming forward. It’s important.

‘But imagine what it’s like, believing in the movement, and having also been falsely accused publicly in the past.

‘To have your life and your family’s life turned upside down. Three years and hundreds of stories reported on a false claim investigated by the FBI, where the end result was that the accuser was caught by law enforcement making the same false claim about another man. The proof was on tape. The accuser was arrested and charged.

‘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.’

The illusionist added: ‘So while I weather another storm, I want the movement to continue to flourish. Always listen, and consider everything carefully, but please for everyone’s sake don’t rush to judgment.’

Copperfield is known to be one of the most successful magicians in history, known for his illusions including the vanishing and reappearance of the Statue of Liberty in 1983, escaping from Alcatraz in 1987 and walking through the Great Wall of China in 1986.

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