David Copperfield Sued for 'Trashing' His NYC Condo

Board says magician let unit 'devolve into a state of complete dilapidation'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 8, 2024 12:36 PM CDT
Lawsuit: David Copperfield Trashed, Abandoned Condo
A photo of water damage included in the lawsuit.   (New York State Supreme Court)

Living near David Copperfield hasn't been exactly a magical experience for other residents of a luxury Manhattan condo building, according to a lawsuit filed by the board of the Galleria Condominium. The lawsuit filed this week alleges that the magician "trashed" the two-level penthouse unit before abandoning it in 2018, allowing it to fall into a "state of utter disrepair" so severe that it is a safety risk to neighbors, the Times of London reports. Among the lawsuit's claims, per NBC News:

  • After buying the unit for $7.4 million in 1997, he filled it with "novelties" including arcade games, fortune-telling machines, and "hazing devices apparently used by various fraternities during the turn of the century."

  • In 2015, his rooftop pool burst, allegedly due to his use of "illegal and ineffective plastic plumbing fixtures," damaging the building's elevator system and causing flooding as far as 30 floors below his 54th-floor unit.
  • Since abandoning the unit in 2018, he let "it devolve into a state of complete dilapidation." "To say that he trashed the Unit is an understatement."
  • A company hired to assess the unit found severe water damage "that could result in damage to other apartments," along with mold and mildew. The company said the condo's condition poses "potential safety and health hazards and should not remain within an occupied building."

"Copperfield's motivation to trash his own apartment and permit it to decay is entirely unclear, especially when he still owns the Unit and is marketing it for sale," the lawsuit states, per Fox News. The board's lawsuit is seeking at least $2.5 million to cover damage to other units and the building's elevator. It is also seeking punitive damages and legal fees. "This is a simple insurance claim," a rep for the 67-year-old magician said. "This is a court matter and will be handled in court." The rep said photos included in the lawsuit showing moldy carpets and peeling walls "don't reflect the current state of the apartment." (More David Copperfield stories.)

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