Image by s_bukley via Shutterstock - A man claims that taking part in a magic trick by David Copperfield led to brain damage
- Gavin Cox was a volunteer during one of Copperfield’s magic shows but was injured in an accident
- The magician’s camp says that the brain damage was a result of pre-existing conditions
A British man is suing celebrity magician David Copperfield after he alleged that taking part in one of the latter’s magic performance led to an accident that caused him permanent brain damage.
The 52-year-old Gavin Cox from London in the United Kingdom, was in Las Vegas on a holiday with his wife when he became part of the audience for Copperfield’s show at the MGM Hotel and Casino.
“Seeing David Copperfield was the highlight of a dream trip to celebrate my 53rd birthday. Instead it turned into a nightmare. My health has been wrecked, and I’ve lost my business and my life savings,” Cox told the Daily Mail.
That night, he was selected as one of 13 volunteers to take part in an act that would involve the selected audience members to “vanish” from a cage suspended on stage, only to “reappear” moments after at the back of the theater.
However, Cox says the stunt went wrong when he slipped and fell while in a poorly-lit area in the hotel, which caused him injuries that permanently damaged his brain.
“During the trick plaintiff was injured when he was hurried with no guidance or interaction through a dark area under construction with cement dust and debris, causing him to slip and fall,” court documents filed by Cox said.
As a result, the British chef is suing Copperfield and the hotel management for millions of dollars.
However, both the magician and the hotel deny the allegations while pointing out that Cox’s injuries were a result of an already pre-existing condition. In addition, the magician’s lawyers said that Copperfield and his staff made multiple inspections in the area prior to the performance.
“‘This illusion has been performed for more than 15 years and with more than 100,000 participants. The history of the show speaks for itself. We deny all allegations. Unfortunately we cannot comment further due to ongoing litigation,” the camp of Copperfield said in a statement.
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