David Copperfield was forced to break the magicians code in court Tuesday, when a judge ordered him to explain one of his most famous tricks following a lawsuit from an injured participant.
British tourist Gavin Cox, 58, is suing the illusionist for negligence after he claimed he was injured after taking part in Copperfield’s “Lucky #13” trick in Las Vegas in 2013, the BBC reports.
Cox said he has suffered chronic pain and brain injury following a fall that dislocated his shoulder. He said in the suit he has spent more than $400,000 on medical bills, according to NBC.
Copperfield, who is the world’s highest paid magician, has performed his famous “Lucky #13” trick thousands of times without prior incident. The performance involves randomly selecting 13 audience members, making them disappear on stage, only for them to later reappear at the back of the room.
A Las Vegas district court rejected Copperfield’s defense, which argued that disclosing the secret behind the trick would be financially detrimental to him. He was ordered to explain how the trick was done.