Revealed Women accuse magician David Copperfield of sexual misconduct

The celebrated US magician David Copperfield has been accused by 16 women of engaging in sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour, according to a Guardian investigation.

- Lucy Osborne, Stephanie Kirchgaessner

More than half of the allegations are from women who said they were under 18 at the time of the incidents.

Some said they were as young as 15, although he may not have known their ages. The allegations against him include claims that he drugged three women before he had sexual relations with them, which they felt they were unable to consent to.

The claims against the illusionist which he has denied - span from the late 1980s to 2014. The Guardian is examining these allegations as part of a series of stories drawing on interviews with more than 100 people and court and police records.

The women who have made allegations met Copperfield through his work as one of the most successful entertainers in the world. Some of the women told the Guardian it was only after the #MeToo movement they had felt able to speak out.

Asked about the claims, Copperfield, 67, denied wrongdoing of any kind. His lawyers told the Guardian he had "never acted inappropriately with anyone, let alone anyone underage". They said a "truthful" depiction of Copperfield would describe his "kindness, shyness and treatment of men and women with respect".

They said Copperfield was a champion of the #MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to come forward and tell their stories of alleged abuse. They also said there had previously been "numerous false claims" made against him.

Copperfield has been accused of misconduct in the past. One of the 16 women, Brittney Lewis, went public in 2018 with allegations that he had drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1988, when she was a 17-yearold model. Copperfield denied the claims, which were published in The Wrap, a digital news outlet that covers media and entertainment.