Friday, January 25, 2008

Whatever Happened To David Copperfield?


If you will recall, back in October there was a huge amount of press when David Copperfield was accused of rape, and the FBI raided his Las Vegas warehouse. Since then, there has been nothing. Not even really a whisper of anything going on. The two cities most involved in the situation are Seattle and Las Vegas. The major Seattle newspaper has not followed up on the original story, and has not even mentioned David Copperfield since the October allegations surfaced. In Las Vegas, there was one article which was published in November about morality clauses in Vegas contracts. You can read the article here. The gist was that perhaps the MGM should have thrown out Copperfield on his ass, but didn't, and instead had him perform there for a six week run over the holidays where ticket sales were "brisk."

What that says to me is that people don't really care what Copperfield did or may have done or was accused of doing. People were shelling out hundreds of dollars a person to see him perform as if nothing had happened. Indeed, what has happened? Allegedly there is a federal grand jury investigating the claims. No doubt they all have spent a week or two or three traveling to the Bahamas to investigate further during the chilly winter months, but there has been no news, no leaks, and I don't think that is right. I understand grand jury testimony is secret, but I don't understand why the newspapers in the affected cities can't at least have one of their staff spend a day or two investigating where the matter stands now. That last sentence holds true even if David Copperfield did nothing wrong. The newspapers of the world had a field day or two slamming him, and so if they were wrong, everyone should know. If they were right, then don't you think people should know that also so that other women won't be afraid to come forward.

The only news account about David Copperfield since October came from the National Enquirer. It is a story that ran the first week of January. It recounted the story of a limo driver who said David Copperfield attempted to rape a woman in the back of a limo in 1996 while he was dating Claudia Schiffer. The limo driver has offered to testify at any trial.

Here is what he had to say. John St. John said incident took place in Ottawa, Canada in 1996, while Copperfield, 51, was engaged to Claudia Schiffer. St. John was ordered to pick up the woman - a Schiffer lookalike - and then drive around the city while Copperfield attempted to seduce her. He told the Enquirer, "I know when someone is having consensual sex in my limousine, but what was going on this time was different. They were struggling and I heard raised voices. I could hear the girl saying: 'No. Get off me' and 'Stop'.

"It was the first time as a driver that I didn't know what to do. I am a father of three daughters and I knew I would be kissing my career goodbye by dragging Copperfield out of the car - but I thought I had no other option. "Just then I heard David call me on the intercom saying: 'Take me back.'" Copperfield's representatives have described St.John's claims as "fiction"

David Copperfield has a big US tour this spring and summer. Are you buying tickets?

15 comments:

Kevin said...

As a small aside, dude made me dissapear in his act once when I was a little one. Too young to remember or notice any creepiness though.

Judi said...

Allegations, no allegations, I have zero interest in seeing this guy's act.

Lux Luthor said...

Um, that would be a big no.

But then, I don't know if I would have bought tickets to his show even if I hadn't heard the allegations.

Shara said...

Just something that I found interesting when looking for summer vacation rentals in the Caribbean.

You can rent David Copperfield's entire Musha Cay Island yourself for $325,000 US per week!

Maybe he will meet YOU with a welcome cocktail.
http://www.caribbeandays.com/privateislands/12bedroom/mushacay.shtml

Don't worry, I certainly didn't take up all the available dates!

Majik said...

Sadly, if this limo driver had done what he wanted and dragged that lowlife p.o.s. outta the car he likely would have made a lot of money selling the story and wouldn't need to keep driving limos.

And other women would have been a little bit safer.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Ya know...that whole taxi thing could have just been some role-playing fun. The Claudia Schiffer 'lookalike' could have really been her, who knows?

It's not that I don't think the smarmy creep is capable of date rape, though.

Anonymous said...

Kevin, how do you dissapear, anyway? Insult the tree it came from? Call its ripeness into question?

Did you wonder why there was a squiggly red line in the comment box as you typed that word? It's so asshats like me don't make fun of your spelling.

brendalove@gmail.com said...

I would dare to say most random Vegas people have no clue anything about the personal life of David Copperfield. Us gossip fiends get so caught up in it all that we're amazed when the average Joe has no idea what Britney's been up to, or cares really.

Unknown said...

You couldn't pay me to go see this creep's act.

Unknown said...

Thanks for this piece. DC had slipped entirely from my mind, but I truly want fairness and justice. Prosecution, rule of law - no matter how rich or famous, we are all people deserving of respect and responsible to treat others with respect.

OJ, Phil Spector, R Kelly, I want nothing to do with you regardless of talent or entertainment value. David Copperfield has joined the ilk.

I recognize that some people are falsely accused (eg. death row inmates being absolved via DNA analyses, stacked juries of all whites vs black defendants); however, it takes (bravery and) a strong case to pursue a public and powerful figure, and as such, when the case is taken on merit it's a sign that the accusation has some truth behind it.

bionic bunny! said...

LOL @ peek!!

Mistress Trish said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Seems as if David was able to make the rape allegations disappear. Has he invented a new form of creepy power or is it simply the same old same old power of creepy well connected people?

I wouldn't see his show. Even if he offered to fly me to the Bahamas and pay me two million.

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