Magic Gone Wrong: David Copperfield Faces Lawsuit Over Damaged NYC Condo
David Copperfield. Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
Renowned magician David Copperfield is embroiled in a legal battle with a New York City condo board, accused of leaving his unit in shambles and causing damage to neighboring properties.
According to court documents, the board of managers of the Galleria Condominium alleges that Copperfield “abandoned” his unit in 2018, leaving it in a state of disrepair. The 67-year-old illusionist allegedly failed to maintain the valves, pipes, and other mechanical equipment servicing his unit, resulting in damage to the building and its occupants.
Court documents include disturbing images of Copperfield’s property, showcasing severe damage to the carpeting, walls, ceiling, bathtub, and more. The condo board claims that Copperfield’s neglect has caused significant harm to the building and its residents.
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Joshua Stricoff, an attorney for the board of managers of the Galleria Condominium, stated, “The pictures contained in the complaint speak for themselves, and no further elaboration is really required. The board hopes that Mr. Copperfield does right by the building and does right by his unit, and we’ll pursue the lawsuit in the meantime.”
In response, a representative for Copperfield downplayed the allegations, claiming the issue is a “simple insurance claim.”
Copperfield’s representative countered that the photographs included in the lawsuit do not reflect the current state of the apartment. The matter will be handled in court, according to the rep.
The Galleria Condominium, a luxury high-rise located on East 57th Street in New York City, prides itself on being one of the city’s classic and preeminent luxury residential condominium buildings. Copperfield’s unit, a multilevel penthouse on the condominium’s 54th floor, was purchased in October 1997 for nearly $7.4 million.
According to court documents, Copperfield has been a “far cry from a model resident.” The board alleged that Copperfield “notoriously jam packed the unit with novelties such as fortune telling machines, classic arcade games, and other, more bizarre items like ‘hazing devices’ apparently used by various fraternities during the turn of the century.”
The plaintiffs believe Copperfield is now residing in Nevada, where he has a magic and illusion show at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Hotel. They hope the lawsuit will propel Copperfield to make a change and act.
“To say that he trashed the unit is an understatement,” the plaintiffs alleged in court documents. “The pictures of the unit are appalling and speak for themselves.”
