The neverending list of men in high and powerful places who are being accused of sexual misconduct and worse seems to be growing at an increasing pace. Honestly, I would have thought that we had seen the worst and that things would be slowing down by now but does not seem to be the case. On the heels of a report that Steven Wynn’s resorts business is taking a hit after allegations of his sexual misconduct were made public, David Copperfield now faces allegations that he assaulted a teen in 1988.
According to what sources report, the two met when David Copperfield hosted a modeling contest that the teen was entered in. Not only is the victim alleging that Copperfield sexually assaulted her, but she is also claiming that he drugged her. She has given a statement in which she claims that Copperfield poured something in her drink and shortly after that she blacked out. While she says some things were fuzzy, she does remember him taking her clothes off. Additionally, she also remembers that he performed several sex acts on her after she became incapacitated.
It should be noted that Copperfield followed a trending pattern created by other men who have been recently accused. There are been several men who have come out ahead of accusations to state their support of the movement and to take a preemptive position for what they obviously knew would be forthcoming. Copperfield did the same thing. Prior to the accusation coming out in the public, Copperfield took to Twitter where he posts a full-page embedded statement suggesting that he supports the #MeToo movement, but he also knows what it feels like to be falsely accused.
In his statement clarifying his support for the #MeToo movement, he also suggested something that should be obvious by now. The public has become so outraged by the despicable acts of some that they are no longer willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt – meaning that many people are rushing to judgment without having all of the facts. He warns that rushing to judgment is not good for anyone. I actually agree with him on this. A rush to judgment that condemns a person who eventually proves their innocence can have long-reaching consequences. It has been proven that once a person’s career has been damaged, it can take a while for it to get back on course if it does at all.
This situation is not the only time that Copperfield has been charged with a similar offense. A woman accused him of doing something similar to her; however, she was later arrested and charged with attempted extortion. This is the danger that unbridled and unmanaged support of a cause can lead to. I am 100 percent for making anyone who violates the innocence and the sanctity of a woman or child pay for their transgressions to the fullest extent of the law and social influence, but we must be careful not to make innocent people pay for the crimes of others. I am not sure if Copperfield is guilt of these latest accusations, but I am hopeful that the public will be presented with enough of the facts to make an educated assessment before choosing a side.
