Illusionist David Copperfield has made a career of making big things -- really big things -- disappear, or at least seem to. From a seven-ton jet to the Statue of Liberty, Copperfield’s wowed audiences with his vanishing acts. But making personal woes go away has proved far trickier for Copperfield.
In 2007, he found himself the subject of serious, criminal allegations when a woman claimed he sexually assaulted her at his Bahamas home. Although charges were never brought against Copperfield and his accuser was later arrested for making a false sexual assault accusation in another case, he still can’t shake the stigma of the allegations. He opens up about the ongoing issue in an interview with Oprah Winfrey on “Oprah’s Next Chapter.”
“To be falsely accused of something that horrendous is a devastating thing for yourself, your friends, you family, really bad,” Copperfield explained. “When the truth comes out -- you know she was arrested, not me -- finally things you know come to light. Unfortunately, in the press, what happens is ...”
“People remember the charge,” Winfrey added. “They don’t remember the exoneration.”
But it’s more than that, according to Copperfield.
“Not only exoneration, but I was the victim,” he said. “Big difference.”
“Oprah’s Next Chapter” airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on OWN.
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