David Copperfield’s neighbors probably wish his disappearing swimming pool was just an illusion.
The water in Mr. Copperfield’s rooftop lap pool vanished on March 8, flooding his 8,000-sqaure-foot Manhattan penthouse, leaking into apartments more than 20 floors below and causing the building’s elevators to stop working for more than a day, according to media reports.
The illusionist, who performs at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, was out of town at the time, reports state.
His lawyer, Ted Blumberg, told the New York Post’s Page Six that a pump for the 57th-floor pool malfunctioned, causing water to flow through Mr. Copperfield’s four-story penthouse, which is decorated with valuables.
“David was terrified, because he has these rare, vintage Coney Island machines, which are priceless, irreplaceable antiques, including a fortune teller, strength testers, an electric shock machine and shooting galleries,” Mr. Blumberg said. “But for some unknown reason — or stroke of luck — these machines were spared by the water. There’s a magic trick called ‘The Bullet Catch,’ where the illusionist catches the bullet in his teeth, and David thinks he really dodged a bullet here.”
Mr. Blumberg added that the insurance company has been notified, and that no lawsuits have been filed as of yet.
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