The Truth About David Copperfield And Claudia Schiffer's Relationship
There's something almost fairytale-like about the romantic relationships of supermodels. Media and fans alike are fascinated by the love stories (and breakups) of the world's most beautiful women — Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere's spontaneous Vegas wedding, Heidi Klum and Seal's picture-perfect marriage, and of course, David Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer's famous engagement.
The case of Copperfield and Schiffer was especially curious. Many fans felt the match was unlikely, with naysayers joking that the six-year relationship was one of Copperfield's greatest magic tricks. The two became an item after he selected Schiffer from the audience to assist him with an illusion at one of his shows in 1993, and the couple was engaged the following year, according to the Independent.
Despite publicly announcing that they would eventually marry, according to ABC News, they called off their engagement in 1999 amid rumors that the entire relationship may have been an illusion after all, per the Orlando Sentinel. So, what is the truth about David Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer's relationship?
They were accused of faking their engagement
In 1997, when the couple still seemed very much in love, a French magazine called "Paris Match" released a report claiming that the relationship between David Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer was nothing more than a business arrangement, according to the Independent.
"David seemed to pick Claudia out of the audience at random, but it was in fact the first step in a devious and incredibly detailed plan," the magazine wrote (via the Independent). "Claudia was paid pounds 12,500 to be there and her first-class tickets to Berlin, hotel suite, Mercedes limo and bodyguard were all paid for by David's PR company." Copperfield filed a $30 million lawsuit against the magazine. The lawsuit stated that "Mr. Copperfield and Ms. Schiffer met on the job, fell in love and plan to marry. They are not pretending anything to anyone," via The Buffalo News.
In 1999, just before the couple officially separated, they were awarded an undisclosed amount by a French court, who ruled that the "Paris Match" report was "false and defamatory," according to People. But it was a hollow victory for Schiffer, who told Canoe, a Canadian news website, in 2000, "I was open and honest about my relationship with David and look where it got us. All the lies that came out were so stressful. It was so unfair."
David Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer barely saw each other
What eventually ended the relationship between David Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer wasn't the pressure created by the ongoing rumors, however. Instead, the magician told People in 2001 that their schedules were so busy that they weren't even able to set a wedding date. "We got busier and busier. It's hard when you have two people who are very driven," Copperfield said.
While the news shocked fans, Copperfield downplayed the breakup, telling the Tampa Bay Times in 2005, "It's like every relationship. We both had careers and dreams that took us apart a lot. And like a million other couples, we're still really good friends. She's a very, very nice person; I care about her very, very much, and we're just doing our own things." Schiffer echoed this, telling Canoe in 2000, "It was our work schedules that ended the relationship. It's very difficult when you're both so much into your careers because you don't want to say no to any opportunity." However, she told People that Copperfield remains "one of my best friends ... He was my first love, so he will always be very special to me."
Since then, they have both moved on and started happy families: Schiffer with film director Matthew Vaughn and Copperfield with French model Chloe Gosselin. Copperfield and Gosselin got engaged in 2014, per Hello!; it seems he may be partial to long engagements.