David Copperfield Sexually Assaulted A Teen Model In 1988: ‘Don’t Rush To Judgment,’ He Says

Allegations against legendary magician David Copperfield surfaced after he cautioned the public against forming quick judgments about people accused of sexual misconduct.

After an ill-advised attempt to stop people from judging accused parties in the #MeToo movement, Copperfield is now facing charges of sexual misconduct.

Brittney Lewis, then 17, accused Copperfield of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1988. It can be noted that Copperfield faced a similar charge back in 2007, but the case was dropped.

Another Case Of Sexual Assault

Back in 2007, former Miss Washington USA, Lacey Carroll accused Copperfield of sexually assaulting her at his home in the Bahamas. She claimed that the illusionist left her traumatized after threatening to kill her. However, charges were never filed and Carroll was later arrested for false allegations.

Ten years later, Copperfield finds himself in the same situation. Lewis alleged that she was competing in a modeling contest for which Copperfield was one of the judges, and the magician extended an invitation to one of his shows in California. Copperfield, then 32, had to ask for her grandmother's permission so she can travel since she was still a minor.

After one of his shows, Lewis allegedly saw Copperfield put something in her drink while they were in a bar. When she asked him what he was doing, Copperfield allegedly told her he was "sharing."

"I remember my clothes being taken off. He was kissing my face and then I remember him starting to go down my body with his face, and then, as soon as he started going down, I just completely blacked out," she said.

Lewis continued that she woke up confused the next morning. Copperfield assured Lewis that there was nothing to worry about because he wouldn't have done anything since she was underage. The magician allegedly forced Lewis to write a letter claiming she was okay.

Lewis' story was corroborated by her best friend from high school, her husband, her ex-husband, and her grandmother, all of whom knew about the alleged incident. She reported the incident to the FBI back in 2007, and she made it clear that she is not after a financial settlement.

In Defense Of The Accused

Before the allegation surfaced, Copperfield took to Twitter to voice his support of the #MeToo movement while asking for understanding for the accused party. Copperfield's representative had no comment on the allegations.

In his tweet, Copperfield detailed how he felt in the wake of the 2007 allegations. He claimed that it was as if his world had been destroyed. Copperfield also called out those who seek to make false accusations, whose actions, he warned, could "impact the believability of others."

While it was unusual to take such stand in the midst of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, Matt Damon and Alec Baldwin shared the same sentiments. The aforementioned personalities issued statements in defense of male celebrities accused of heinous acts.

Tags

Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Allegations, #MeToo, Times Up