Illusionist can’t make this problem vanish
ILLUSIONIST David Copperfield has been forced to reveal how one of his most famous tricks is done after being sued by a British tourist.
The 61-year-old has been taken to court in Las Vegas after a British chef filed a lawsuit for negligence after he was injured during one of the illusionist’s shows.
Now as part of Gavin Cox’s legal claim, a judge ruled the secrets behind one of Copperfield’s most famous tricks should be made public.
Lawyers for the American magician had argued that disclosing how the ‘Lucky Number 13’ illusion works to the public would financially hurt Copperfield, who is worth about £560 million. Jeez.
But the judge disagreed, after being told some 55,000 people who have already participated in the trick, know how it works.
After 13 members of the audience are chosen at random by catching balloons let go by Copperfield, they are then seated onstage inside a suspended cage.
A curtain is drawn completely around them while they are given torches to shine giving the impression they are still there.
After a few moments, the curtain is pulled away, and the participants are no longer on stage – only to reappear suddenly at the back of the audience.
Lawyers for Cox say what the audience didn’t see was the “chaos” that occurred behind the scenes that they claim led Cox to fall and suffer lasting brain damage and a shoulder injury.
The case has been going on since Cox filed his lawsuit in 2014 and only now has come to trial.
Just goes to show, the best trick of all is the one where lawyers make your money disappear.