David Copperfield insisted that no one was injured the 20 years he performed a vanishing act.
The magician took the stand on Tuesday as he was forced to defend himself against Gavin Clark, a British tourist who sued him after claiming he was seriously hurt in a fall during a Las Vegas performance in November 2013.
The trick, the ‘Lucky #13’, is when 13 audience members disappear from the stage and seemingly reappear at the back of a theater, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
David Copperfield insisted that no one was injured the 20 years he performed a vanishing act. The magician took the stand on Tuesday (pictured) as he was forced to defend himself after a participant claimed he was injured
Gavin Clark (pictured), a British tourist, sued Copperfield after claiming he was seriously hurt in a fall during a Las Vegas performance in November 2013
A court in Nevada heard some of the secrets behind the signature ‘Lucky 13’ act in which 13 audience members disappear from the stage and seemingly reappear at the back of a theater
Participants are hurried down passageways as well as outside out of the theater between 60 and 90 seconds to complete the illusion.
Cox, 58, slipped in a part of the resort that was under construction while he was being guided to the back of the theater.
He said that he and his wife had been in Las Vegas for birthday celebration and saw one of Copperfield’s performances.
Upon returning to England, he said he suffered from headaches and chronic pain. The lawsuit states that a scan showed a lesion on his brain, which has allegedly cost him $400,000 in medical bills.
Stage 1: Video footage of the ‘Lucky 13’ trick being performed shows audience members sitting on a platform on stage after being randomly selected from the audience
Stage 2: A curtain drops over the platform on stage during which time the participants are ushered through secret passageways and even outside the building
Stage 3: Copperfield lifts the curtain from the platform to reveal the volunteers have ‘vanished’ (pictured) only to point to the back of the hall where the participants reappear
His attorney, Benedict Morelli, said the route to the back of the theater was an ‘obstacle course’ and may be dangerous for those not wearing appropriate footwear, reported the Review-Journal.
However, Copperfield said they are at least seven tests for audience members to show how they dealt with the seats, the stage and stairs before they are selected for participation.
Around 55,000 people have participated in the illusion and Copperfield claimed he had heard of no one being injured until he was sued by Cox one year after his November 2013 visit.
Copperfield (pictured, April 18) stopped performing the illusion about two years after Cox’s injury
Copperfield (picture, Tuesday) said they are at least seven tests for audience members to show how they dealt with the seats, the stage and stairs before they are selected for participation
Copperfield said he didn’t know Cox claimed to have been injured in November 2013 until he was sued the following year. He said he stopped performing the illusion a year later.
Morelli asked Copperfield if volunteers were encouraged to leave the stage quickly.
‘Safety would always come first. Safety is more important than the illusion,’ Copperfield replied.
Copperfield stopped performing the illusion about two years after Cox’s injury.
According to the Review-Journal, Copperfield will resume giving testimony next week because he is unable to do so for the rest of this week.