David Blaine and David Copperfield have more in common than their first names. Both are world-renowned magicians, both are celebrities, and both, it turns out, shared a relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
After the United States government released documents related to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide while in federal custody, many famous names from Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and beyond have found themselves at the centre of controversy. This time, two of magic’s biggest names are facing scrutiny–David Blaine and David Copperfield.
The Goldfish Trick And The Townhouse
David Blaine is widely known for a stunt in which he swallowed two live goldfish along with a glass of water, then released them, alive, hours later into a fishbowl. The trick was performed in front of filmmaker Woody Allen and has been talked about in magic circles ever since.
What Blaine has not publicly discussed, however, is where exactly that segment was filmed. According to CNN, which cited documents from the US Justice Department’s Epstein files, the stunt was filmed inside Epstein’s townhouse in New York City.
In April 2013, Epstein emailed Soon-Yi Previn stating that Blaine “wanted to do the goldfish trick tonight for Woody and film it.”
Later messages from Epstein’s assistant, Lesley Groff, referred to Blaine returning to the property to “finish his Woody Allen shoot.”
A Friendship That Spanned Years
The records show communication between Epstein and Blaine from 2012 to 2016. References also suggest Blaine attended social gatherings at Epstein’s residence as early as 2003.
One video included in the files appears to show Blaine performing a trick for Gates at an Epstein event.
At times, Epstein also tried to introduce Blaine to political figures and discussed social plans involving “girls.” In a September 2015 email, Epstein wrote, “You missed some amazing girls last night.” The context and ages referenced in that message are not specified in the documents.
The files also reference a 2017 allegation against Blaine, which did not lead to charges. Blaine denied the allegation at the time. Epstein contacted Blaine shortly after media coverage of the claim, writing, “I’m there if you need anything.”
Copperfield, Epstein And The FBI
David Copperfield’s name surfaces separately in the Epstein files, placing him among the many celebrities documented as having socialised with Epstein following his 2008 guilty plea.
Photographs included in the records show him with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on multiple occasions.
Some images appear to have been taken on Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, while others were taken at Musha Cay, a group of islands owned by Cooperfield in the Bahamas.
Messages left by Copperfield for Epstein date back to 2005, though the exact start of their association is unclear.
One of the most notable details concerning Copperfield is an internal FBI document from 2007. At the time, Epstein was facing a sex trafficking investigation in Florida, whilst Copperfield was separately being investigated by the FBI over a sexual assault allegation in Washington state, an allegation he denied, and which never resulted in charges.
According to that internal document, investigators wanted to interview witnesses to establish whether the relationship between Copperfield and Epstein “included illegal activities.” Officials also mentioned evidence of a “connection” between the two men and stated they wanted “to determine if they both shared a predilection for minors.”
Despite the references in the files, neither Blaine nor Copperfield has been charged with any offence connected to Epstein.