Homeowners sue David Copperfield: magician trashed $7 million penthouse

The famous illusionist David Copperfield turned out to be a bad neighbor. He left a luxury Midtown penthouse in such disrepair in 2018 that it threatened the structural integrity of the building. So says the $2,5 million lawsuit brought by the condominium board against the magician, reports New York Post.

The Galleria Condominium Board attributed much of the damage to Copperfield's negligence. For example, plastic plumbing caused a rooftop pool to burst in 2015, causing torrents of water to flood the 30 lower floors.

In December 2023, while the penthouse was already abandoned, a valve in the building broke, causing water to flow again into the elevator shafts, hallways and other condominiums, according to the lawsuit filed Aug. 6 in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The incidents may have jeopardized the structural integrity of the 55-story luxury complex on East 57th Street that Copperfield abruptly left in 2018.

On the subject: David Copperfield: how the son of immigrants from Ukraine became the richest illusionist in the world

“Rather than move out in a safe and orderly manner, Copperfield trashed the premises,” the lawsuit states. “Since then, part of the building has fallen into complete disrepair.”

Shocking photographs included in the lawsuit show the extent of the destruction in the apartment, which the illusionist bought for $7,4 million in 1997: paint peeling from the walls, ceilings crumbling and collapsing, floors in terrible condition.

The architects warned the condominium that the damage to the plumbing was so severe that it posed a risk to the “concrete structure of the building” and contributed to the growth of mold and mildew. Other apartments are at risk.

The 67-year-old magician, who still works in Las Vegas and has a net worth of nearly $1 billion, refused to take the complaints seriously, according to the lawsuit.

He performed only minor cosmetic repairs and ignored serious problems that jeopardized the health and safety of others in the building.

This attitude towards one’s own home, which is also put up for sale, is not entirely clear. Condominium board lawyer Joshua Strickoff said Aug. 6 that the allegations (including accompanying photos) “speak for themselves and require no further explanation.”

"The council hopes that Mr. Copperfield will ultimately do right by the building and his block," Strickoff said.

The board is seeking a minimum of $2,5 million in damages and wants Copperfield to repair the damage caused by his negligence, the lawsuit says.

In an Aug. 7 email, a representative for the magician called the issues a "simple insurance claim."

“The photographs included in the lawsuit do not reflect the current condition of the apartment,” the representative noted. “This issue will be considered in court.”

Shortly after purchasing the nearly 1,500-square-foot apartment, a “previously pristine multi-level penthouse apartment” overlooking Central Park and the Upper East Side, Copperfield transferred ownership of the property to a shell company he owns, the suit says.

The illusionist filled the apartment, described by Curbed in 2016 as “looking like a glass spaceship perched on top of a Midtown building.” For example, there is a 100-year-old "surprise chair" with a trap bottom, a floor with vintage arcade games, dozens of creepy mannequins, an "exploding table" and a staircase that turns into a slide.

One neighbor said on August 7 that although Copperfield was a pleasant enough man, he owed damages.

“This is a condominium. So everyone is responsible for their own apartment,” he noted. Although his own apartment was not damaged, he complains that the glass penthouses “leak all the time,” and, as the man heard from other neighbors, about $20 million is needed for repairs.

The illusionist's apartment is so large that it has completely autonomous heating, ventilation, electricity, and hot water. The lawsuit alleges that Copperfield was responsible for maintaining the infrastructure, but that he did not always do so.

His alleged negligence often had disastrous consequences, according to the lawsuit.

Take the pool incident mentioned above in 2015. It resulted from the homeowner using “unapproved and ineffective plastic plumbing fixtures” that eventually failed.

The condominium board says the incidents occurred in part because Copperfield fired his building manager, housekeeper and handyman when he abruptly moved out of the building in 2018.

“As a result, Copperfield, without the knowledge of the board, completely neglected to maintain the mechanical equipment that had supplied the unit for several years,” the lawsuit states. “Copperfield refuses to take responsibility for the consequences of his actions and denies all responsibility for the damage he caused to the building and his former neighbors.”

The architect who assessed the apartment came up with a long list of problems, including water damage that compromised the building's structural integrity, leaking glass ceilings, mold and mildew, and rusting and collapsing pipes.

The report, compiled in March, was sent to Copperfield's lawyer, but there was no response.

The lawsuit from the condominium board is not the only trouble Copperfield has had recently. In May, he was accused of sexually harassing 16 women. Some claim they were underage or under the influence of drugs at the time.

The illusionist denied the accusations and insisted he had "never behaved inappropriately with anyone, let alone minors."