David Copperfield has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 1988. Brittney Lewis told TheWrap that Copperfield drugged and assaulted her when she was 17. The publication also interviewed several people close to Lewis who said that she told them about the assault. Lewis’ best friend from high school, husband, ex-husband, and grandmother all said she shared the story “decades ago.” Her chiropractor said she shared the story in 2007. Lewis is not seeking money from Copperfield or any party.
(Content note: Descriptions of sexual assault follow)
Lewis told TheWrap details about meeting Copperfield at a modeling contest, then being invited to see a show of his in California. During that visit, Lewis said she saw Copperfield put something in her drink. She said she blacked out after taking a few sips. Lewis said she only remembered parts of the rest of that night, with recollections of being in a cab then the hotel where she was staying in a room separate from but connected to Copperfield’s.
“I remember my clothes being taken off,” she told TheWrap. “He was kissing my face and then I remember him starting to go down on my body with his face, and then, as soon as he started going down, I just completely blacked out.”
Copperfield’s team did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. On Wednesday, before Lewis’ story was published, Copperfield did post a statement to his social channels hinting that an allegation was forthcoming. He voiced support for the #MeToo movement, the hashtag adopted by many people sharing their stories about surviving many forms of sexual assault. “So while I weather another storm, I want the movement to continue to flourish,” he wrote, cautioning against a “rush to judgment.”
— David Copperfield (@D_Copperfield) January 24, 2018
This is not the first time Copperfield has been accused of sexual assault. In 2007, Lacey Carroll claimed that he sexually assaulted her during a trip to his private island in the Bahamas. Copperfield was investigated by the FBI and the case was dropped. Carroll also dropped a civil lawsuit against him.
Lewis said that she contacted the FBI in 2007 to share her story when Carroll’s allegations went public. An FBI representative declined to comment on TheWrap’s reporting, and a copy of Lewis’ statement has not yet been released under a Freedom of Information Act filing. We will update this story as more information becomes available.