David Copperfield: Magician accused of sexual misconduct

Magician David Copperfield has been accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour by 16 women.

Some of the alleged offences took place when the women were under 18, the Guardian newspaper has reported.

The allegations date from the late 1980s to 2014.

A representative for Copperfield told BBC News the allegations were "false and scurrilous" and "the exact opposite of who David is".

According to the Guardian, three of the women claim the magician drugged them before having sex with them. They said they did not feel able to consent.

In four instances, women alleged the magician groped them or made them touch him in a sexual manner during live performances on stage.

One woman said she met Copperfield in 1991 when she was 15 and he kept in contact with her through phone calls.

When she was 18, she says they had consensual sex, but the woman told the Guardian she believes she was groomed.

Copperfield's lawyers acknowledged the relationship to the newspaper but denied any grooming took place.

In a separate statement to the BBC, his lawyers 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 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."

Copperfield has previously been accused of inappropriate behaviour and in 2018 he denied historical allegations of sexual misconduct.

"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," he wrote on X/Twitter at the time.

Copperfield is one of America's best-known magicians. He has won 21 Emmy Awards and holds 11 Guinness World Records.