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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Tom Murray

Magician David Copperfield to end Las Vegas residency after 25 years amid mentions in Epstein files

David Copperfield’s mainstay show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is drawing to a close after a 25-year run, weeks after his name again appeared in the latest batch of the so-called Epstein files.

The hotel announced Thursday that the famed illusionist’s final show will take place April 30.

“We thank David and his exceptional team for the incredible energy they’ve consistently delivered with this larger-than-life production,” said Mike Neubecker, President & COO of MGM Grand. “David has fascinated audiences at MGM Grand for more than 25 years, and we wish him every success as he embarks on the next chapter of his journey.”

In a statement of his own shared on social media, Copperfield, 69, wrote: “My journey began as a kid in New Jersey with a dream of making magic in my life. I saw magic then — and I see magic now — as more than just my work. Magic teaches us that often things that others dismiss as impossible are not only possible, but within our grasp.”

The magician teased that he was “excited to announce what’s next soon thereafter. It’s the largest project I’ve ever tackled, and the most challenging, too.”

Copperfield announced the end of his residency in a statement shared to social media (copperfield/Instagram)

Copperfield typically runs 15 shows per week in the 740-seat theater at the Grand, which was named after him in 2013. He will perform 120 more shows at the resort over the next eight weeks, he said in his statement. Guests who have purchased tickets for any shows after that date will be automatically refunded.

The news comes after Copperfield’s name was once again mentioned in the latest tranche of documents released by the U.S. Justice Department in connection with Jeffrey Epstein.

The latest batch of files suggest Copperfield had a “very close relationship” with Epstein, according to FBI detectives.

They include an email chain that shows Epstein saying Copperfield “got engaged to Claudia Shiffer [Schiffer] on my island.” Copperfield got engaged to the German model in January 1994.

The Independent has contacted Copperfield’s representatives for comment.

Copperfield has denied being friends with Epstein.

“Our client did not know about Epstein’s horrific crimes,” his lawyers told The Guardian in 2024. “Like the rest of the world, he learned about it from the press.”

Copperfield has also faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct over the years, including a 2007 federal investigation that was closed without charges and a 2018 accusation regarding an incident in 1988.

Copperfield pictured in appears in court in Las Vegas in 2018 (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

In May 2024, a Guardian investigation also reported allegations from 16 women who accused Copperfield of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior between the late 1980s and 2014.

In a statement emailed to The Independent, a representative for Copperfield vehemently denied the allegations, saying: “Everyone that knows David Copperfield will tell you that these recent allegations from one newspaper are the exact opposite of who David is.”

They continued: “David will be considering the position with his legal team and will take such steps as may be appropriate over these false and scurrilous allegations.”

That same year, The Independent revealed that Copperfield was being sued over his “trashed” $7 million Manhattan penthouse.

The board of The Galleria, a condo on East 57th Street in New York City, accused the magician of causing some $3 million worth of damage not only to his own “formerly pristine multilevel penthouse,” but to other tenants’ homes.

A representative for Copperfield said, “This is a simple insurance claim. The photographs included in the lawsuit don’t reflect the current state of the apartment. This is a court matter and will be handled in court.”

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