DAVID COPPERFIELD - COPPERFIELD COUNTERSUES PROMOTERS OVER SCRAPPED TOUR

Illusionist DAVID COPPERFIELD has filed his own lawsuit against two show promoters who are suing him for breach of contract, after he was forced to pull out of dates in south-east Asia last year (07). Copperfield scrapped a December (07) tour to the Middle East and Asia in November (07), shortly after he learned the FBI were investigating him for allegations of sexual assault. The magician insisted the ongoing criminal investigation was not linked to his decision to scrap the tour - blaming the promoters for failing to fulfil their contractual obligations. But bosses at event companies Viva Art International Limited and MAZ Concerts Inc. sued him for the last-minute cancellations, and demanded the return of several million dollars in advance payments from Copperfield. However, Copperfield has hit back with his own legal action, filing papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday (08Feb08). In the documents, Copperfield claims the promoters owe him $4 million (GBP2 million) under an "artist's guaranteed fee" - $2.8 million (GBP1.4 million) for the tour of south-east Asia, and the remainder for the dates in the Middle East, reports TMZ.com.