David Copperfield accused of trashing his $7 million NYC penthouse in new lawsuit

The suit accuses Copperfield of neglect that has resulted in millions in building damages. A rep for the magician says it's a "simple insurance claim."

• Celebrity magician David Copperfield is being sued by his condo board.
• The suit accuses Copperfield of neglect that has resulted in millions in building damages.
• A rep for Copperfield called the dispute "a simple insurance claim."

Famed magician David Copperfield is being sued by the board of his New York City condo, which claims he trashed his penthouse upon moving out in 2018 and let it "devolve into a state of utter disrepair."

Copperfield owns — and is currently trying to sell — the largest unit in the Galleria, which he purchased for $7.4 million in 1997, according to the suit.

But now, unrepaired water damage in his unit is posing dangers to the structure of the building and to other residents, the suit alleges.

The board also alleges in its suit that a failed valve exclusively servicing Copperfield's unit resulted in "approximately $2,500,000 of damages to the Condominium's common elements and elevator systems."

The suit is asking Copperfield to repair his unit and pay for the damages.

Photos included in the suit show what appears to be a rusted bathtub and crumbling and walls.

"This is a simple insurance claim," a representative for Copperfield told Business Insider in a statement. "The photographs included in the lawsuit don't reflect the current state of the apartment. This is a court matter and will be handled in court."

Joshua Stricoff, an attorney for the Galleria, told BI the photos speak for themselves, and added the board hopes Copperfield does right by the building and his unit.

An assessment of the damage was sent to Copperfield earlier this year, according the suit, at which point he performed "band-aid repairs" but did not address the "subsurface decay/damage, structural stability, and mold growth."

This isn't the first time the condo board has feuded with Copperfield. In 2015, his rooftop pool burst due to plastic plumbing fixtures, according to the suit, which it alleges resulted in extensive flooding and water damage.