[Watch the live feed in the player above this article when court begins at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.]
Court continues in the civil trial against magician David Copperfield (born David S. Kotin). Court is expected to resume at 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 pm ET.
The lawsuit covers a pretty sensitive topic for the illusionist. Former fan Gavin Cox blames him for a slip and fall sustained at a show in 2013. Cox says he was picked randomly to participate in a trick called “Lucky 13.” Copperfield was to make him and 12 other audience members disappear and reappear. As part of the process, everyone was hurried through a dark area under construction, the lawsuit claimed, and Cox fell amid dust and debris, sustaining brain damage.
The trial has caught some attention because the process behind the trick would possibly be revealed through the trial. Magicians have never been known to freely share their secrets, and besides that, the brain damage allegation would do no favors to the reputation and bank account of Copperfield, easily one of the most popular American illusionists in recent decades. Citing trade secrets, his attorneys didn’t want him to be recorded discussing the truth behind the trick.
Cox sued Copperfield, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and others for negligence. Earlier in the trial, the magician said that generally speaking, he could be responsible if someone was hurt during his trick, but it depends on what happened. He testified that he didn’t know about the injuries Cox allegedly sustained until the lawsuit was filed in 2014. Copperfield said he didn’t notice debris in the area.
[Image via 3 News Las Vegas]
