Lawsuit leads to revelations about David Copperfield’s act

No, said Kenner, whose company, Backstage Employment and Referral Inc., is also a defendant in the case.

Copperfield’s lawyers lost pretrial bids to close proceedings to the public to avoid giving away performance secrets. MGM Grand Hotel attorney Jerry Popovich said Tuesday the illusion is no longer used to close the show.

Morelli asked Kenner whether stagehands and Copperfield visually assessed the physical fitness and footwear of audience members randomly picked to participate in the trick dubbed “the runaround.”

Magicians, media members and lawyers were disqualified to protect the secrecy of the trick that Kenner estimated Copperfield performed tens of thousands of times over 20 years.

“At no time are they told what they’re going to do before they start this illusion,” Morelli asked Kenner. “They’re told as they’re running the route, correct?”

Yes, Kenner replied.

Kenner declined to say it was dangerous to lead people along a dark and unknown route over changing floor surfaces of linoleum, cement, carpet, sidewalk and tile. The lawyer noted that before Cox fell, the group hustled through an alley coated with what Morelli called construction dust.

Popovich told the jury of eight women and four men last week that 10 minutes before Cox fell, Copperfield safely walked through that same area as part of another illusion that did not involve audience participation. The MGM Grand lawyer said Copperfield would have alerted stagehands if he noticed any problems along the way.

Cox and his wife, Minh-Hahn Cox, are seeking unspecified damages in the negligence lawsuit.

Copperfield could take the stand Wednesday.

Ken Ritter, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Lawsuit leads to revelations about David Copperfield’s act

What's Trending