London - David Copperfield says the stigma of being accused of sexual assault will never go away.
The 55-year-old magician was interviewed by the FBI and state prosecutors during a two-year investigation after he was accused of imprisoning and assaulting a woman at his Bahamas home in 2007 but no charges were ever brought.
However, his accuser, former beauty queen Lacey Carroll, was later arrested for making false sexual assault allegations against another man but David says it's not enough vindication.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey, David said: "To be falsely accused of something that horrendous is a devastating thing for yourself, your friends, you family, really bad. When the truth comes out - you know she was arrested, not me - finally things you know come to light. Unfortunately, in the press, what happens is..."
Oprah interjected saying: "People remember the charge. They don't remember the exoneration", to which David replied: "Not only exoneration, but I was the victim. Big difference."
The illusionist - who once dated Claudia Schiffer - had always claimed he was the victim of an extortion plot after Lacey filed a lawsuit against him.
In it, she alleged she was assaulted by him in 2007 after he whisked her to his $50m private island in the Bahamas when she met him at one of his shows.
The FBI dropped the case in 2010, two weeks after she was arrested for filing a false claim against another man. - Bang Showbiz