Newly released Jeffrey Epstein files have exposed previously undisclosed details about the financier's relationships with prominent magicians David Blaine and David Copperfield, including dozens of messages, photos, and federal investigations into their associations.
The Department of Justice documents published Sunday cover interactions from 2003 through 2016, many occurring after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor. The files include emails, phone messages, videos, and FBI interview summaries, but contain no allegations of criminal wrongdoing by either magician.
David Blaine, known for endurance stunts and close-up magic, exchanged numerous texts and emails with Epstein between 2012 and 2016, according to the records. Epstein invited Blaine to dinners with celebrities, including Woody Allen and Bill Gates. A video in the files shows Blaine performing a card trick for Gates at one such gathering.
One notable instance involved Blaine filming a segment for his 2013 ABC special "Real or Magic?" inside Epstein's New York City townhouse. Epstein emailed Woody Allen's wife, Soon-Yi Previn, that Blaine wanted to perform his goldfish-swallowing stunt there. Epstein's assistant later relayed Blaine's request to film additional footage in the home's bathroom and stairs, which Epstein deferred until his return.
Other messages highlighted social plans. In September 2015, Epstein emailed Blaine: "You missed some amazing girls last night." Earlier, Epstein suggested outings with Blaine, modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel -- later accused of sex trafficking and "girls, etc." Epstein also texted Blaine in June 2015 about visiting the White House and wrote a visa reference letter for a woman at Epstein's request in 2015.
FBI summaries from 2019 interviews described women who met Epstein through Blaine. One, a teenager at the time, encountered Blaine at an Epstein party in New York. Another, 18, when she met Blaine at a nightclub, said he introduced her to Epstein and took her to his mansion; Blaine later approved her trip to Epstein's private island.
After a 2017 rape allegation against Blaine, which he denied, and authorities dropped, Epstein emailed support: "I’m there if you need anything."
David Copperfield, one of the world's highest-paid illusionists, appears frequently in photos and messages dating to 2005. Images show him in a bathrobe with four women, and embracing Ghislaine Maxwell Epstein's convicted accomplice in robes on Epstein's Little St. James island. Other photos originated from Copperfield's Bahamian islands, Musha Cay.
Epstein provided underage girls with tickets to Copperfield shows, records show. One woman recalled speaking to Copperfield by phone at Epstein's home after receiving tickets. Another assisted Copperfield onstage, aware of his intentions, and brought her boyfriend.
A 2007 FBI memo flagged their "very close relationship" and urged interviews to determine if they shared a "predilection for minors" or referred victims. It referenced Copperfield's "business list" of women he targeted, including Epstein witnesses. This coincided with a separate probe into a 2007 sexual assault allegation against Copperfield in Washington state, which closed in 2010 without charges after the accuser faced prostitution and false reporting charges. In 2008, prosecutors asked if Epstein might discuss Copperfield.
Copperfield has denied a close friendship with Epstein, calling them mere acquaintances who met a handful of times. His team did not respond to recent inquiries, nor did Blaine's.
The revelations come amid ongoing releases of Epstein's files, following his 2019 jailhouse death. Copperfield announced in March the end of his 25-year Las Vegas residency.
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