David Copperfield , the world-renowned illusionist , has been accused of allowing his luxurious penthouse apartment in Manhattan to “devolve into a state of...
dilapidation” to such an extent that architects warned it could actually threaten the structural integrity of the entire building. According to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the board of The Galleria, a condominium located on East 57th Street, the complaint alleges that Copperfield has caused approximately $3 million in damages not only to his own "formerly pristine multi level penthouse," but also to the homes of other tenants in the building, The Independent reported. The lawsuit states that Copperfield has "trashed" the apartment, which he still owns but no longer occupies, leaving it in an "appalling" condition.
His motivation for causing such extensive damage to his own property "is entirely unclear", especially when he still owns the Unit and is marketing it for sale,” said the complaint. The 67-year-old magician “refuses to confront the consequences of his actions and denies all responsibility for the damage he has caused to the building and his former neighbors”, despite the fact that the situation has created potential health risks in addition to the physical decay, the complaint claimed. Copperfield's expansive 15,000 square-foot quadruplex, which includes an indoor pool and is located on the building's 54th floor, is composed of two penthouses that were originally merged in the mid-1970s into a sin.