Back in 2013, Gavin Cox and his wife went to see David Copperfield perform at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Mr. Cox was one of thirteen audience members selected to disappear during the magician’s final trick of the night, Lucky 13. Unfortunately, Cox was injured during the performance, and according to Law & Crime, Copperfield may be required to reveal the secret behind the trick in an upcoming court case.

Cox claims to have been injured during the trick when he “was hurried with no guidance or instruction through a dark area under construction with cement dust and debris, causing him to slip and fall.”

The accident was apparently bad enough that Cox required on-site medical attention and, according to an interview with the Daily Mail in 2016, now has to wear an “oxygen lung” while sleeping in case he suddenly stops breathing. 

Cox is seeking damages from Copperfield, the hotel, and the construction company working on the venue at the time. He claims the defendants failed to keep the area he was ushered through well-lit and free of obstructions, and that they should have warned the audience about any potential danger the trick posed. 

The case has made it to court and jury selection is set to begin later today. It’s expected that Copperfield will have to reveal the mechanics of the trick as part of the proceedings. 

“I’m going to have a good time questioning Mr. Copperfield, because he may try, but I’m not going into any box,” Cox’s attorney, Benedict Morelli, told The New York Post in 2017. “I do believe that certain secrets are going to come out.”