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Today in Focus

Magic Dave: David Copperfield’s alleged victims speak out – part 1

Today in Focus

The Guardian

Daily News, News

4.65.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2024

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Sixteen women have accused the magician of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour spanning decades. Copperfield’s lawyers say the allegations are ‘not only completely false but also entirely implausible’. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the Guardian.

0:02.0

Today, the first of two episodes about a Guardian US Investigation into allegations of a darker side to one of the most successful performers of all time. Today in focus is supported by Accenture.

0:27.0

Together Accenture has reinvented many of the world's leading organizations.

0:37.0

Across 13 industries in over 120 countries, Accenture makes a real world impact for over 9,000 clients

0:48.0

across the world. Reinvented with Accenture. Learn more at Accenture.com.

0:56.0

Before we start, this episode contains several graphic references to allegations of sexual misconduct and some swearing. I was really excited.

1:17.0

I was with my mom and my brother and I do remember saying to her on the way I hope I get picked to do a trick with him.

1:25.0

This is a woman we're going to call Olivia.

1:28.0

She's telling me about a night in 1996 when she was 17 years old. And when to see a performance by the magician David Copperfield.

1:37.0

I remember he was incredibly charismatic.

1:44.6

He was like looking at me and smiling and making eye contact.

1:48.1

And I thought, you know, he's seen me and

1:50.6

like I'm gonna get picked.

1:51.6

So he comes out to the audience to get someone

1:55.2

to help with a trick, and we're in the third row

1:57.1

right on the end.

1:58.6

And he walks right by us, and I thought,

2:00.8

okay, I'm not getting picked. then he comes back down the aisle and then he

2:05.7

stops in our row and he puts his hand out to me to come up so I was very excited.

2:19.0

He's holding my hand the whole time as we go up on the stage. He's asking me questions, have we ever met before, things like this.

2:23.0

And as we're having this chat, he puts his hand around my waist.

2:29.0

So he's like holding me.

...

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