Every magician has their day, but it's not been David Copperfield's.
David Copperfield, the magician extraordinaire who is still performing at 61, was made to reveal the famous trick, Lucky #13, after a participant was injured during a Las Vegas performance at the MGM. A lawsuit has been filed, making a dent in a very long run of success.
Since the age of 16, David Copperfield taught magic at New York University and then from there performed upwards of 500 times a year. Forbes magazine says as of 2012, his net worth was about $150 million. Add winning 21 Emmy Awards, and you've got one of the greatest magicians of all time.
The lawsuit is a negligence lawsuit which was filed by Gavin Cox, 58, from England after he fell while assisting Copperfield in his signature Lucky #13 trick.
Mr. Cox claims he dislocated his shoulder during the misdirection, while also adding he has had chronic pain since then and also received a brain injury. In fact, he said doctors had found he had a brain lesion, and the lawsuit says it has cost Gavin Cox $400,000 (£239,000) in medical bills.
Executive Producer for Copperfield, Chris Kenner revealed the secret last Tues., April 17 in court.
Copperfield makes a lot of money for a magician and lawyers voiced that the revealing of Lucky #13 would cost the magician. Rightfully so, the Las Vegas district court judge demanded an explanation (since these are serious claims being made).
The Lucky #13 trick has been reproduced again and again without any reported problems, until now.
David Copperfield has the trick involving 13 audience members, to disappear on stage while being picked randomly. Then Copperfield reveals them at the back the theatre.
When the 13 participants on stage are masked by curtains they are led through secret passageways around the Las Vegas MGM resort, leaving the building and returning behind the crowd. Great misdirection.
Mr. Cox, while being taken through the passageway, fell while being roughly led by stage handlers and after was sent to the hospital.
Gavin Cox's attorney Benedict Morelli in his opening statements remarked, "there was a duty by the defendants to provide a safe environment to the audience participants."
Morelli also asked Copperfield if he was accountable for a participant's injury.
David Copperfield replied by stating, "It would depend on what happened. If I did something wrong, it would be my fault."
Morelli also claimed that there is construction debris and dust in the passageways that were used, although the magician denies that, saying they were cleared.
The Las Vegas resort MGM also is involved as a defendant in Cox's lawsuit and claimed everything was clear also.
The MGM's attorney, Jerry Popovich, stated, "Mr. Cox did not slip; he tripped."
Although it depends how fast he was being rushed, and since not everyone who is 58 is in tip-top shape, a trip can be the same as a fall and realistically they must have been moving fast to complete the trick.
The trial is ongoing and Copperfield is expected to testify next Tues., May 1, according to the BBC.
Even if David Copperfield has made the Statue of Liberty disappear, he still should be held accountable if the claims are true. That being said, his track record for participants coming out clean from his tricks is in his favor and Gavin Cox certainly will have a hard legal battle. Still, these serious claims and if they are true, the denying of them by Copperfield would be the revelation of the secret of another kind of magic trick.