Random Like His Illusions, There's More To David Blaine Than Meets The Eye (16 items)

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  (#1) His Memoir Was Also A Literal Treasure Hunt With A $100,000 Prize

  In 2002, Blaine released a book titled Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic. It was a sort of hybrid memoir/how-to/magic history/self-help guide all rolled into one. It also sent readers on a treasure hunt in search of a $100,000 grand prize. Deciphered through a code written into the text, the hunt generated worldwide interest, and armchair explorers took to the streets.

  In 2004, a retired California schoolteacher named Sherri Skanes figured out all the book's clues and claimed the prize. Treasure hunt blog Mysterious Writings explains how she reportedly solved the riddle.
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  (#2) He Got His First Special By Levitating In Front Of Studio Executives

  Blaine landed his first television special, Street Magic, in 1997. He filmed himself doing magic tricks on the street, and he brought the video to ABC executives, showing up to the studio's headquarters without so much as an appointment. But he worked his magic, so to speak, and landed before some major network decision makers.

  Blaine astounded them with both his video and a live card trick. Then, he pulled out the big guns: He levitated right there in the meeting.
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  (#3) He Once Killed A Pigeon With His Mind

  In a 1999 interview with Time Out, a former classmate of Blaine's reportedly told a story about a time the magician killed a pigeon with his mind: "We were just sitting around in a classroom one day, and David pointed to a pigeon sitting on a windowsill about 20 feet away. He said, 'See that bird? I’m going to make its heart stop.' And a few seconds later, it just fell off the sill, dead."

  When asked Blaine about the incident, his reply was puzzling: "That pigeon didn't die," Blaine insisted. "It just appeared to be dead. The way I do magic is to wait for the moment to exist. I don't create the moment." The fate of that pigeon is currently unknown, but he did seem to bring another back to life.
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  (#4) He Hitched A Ride On A Snowplow To Get His Pregnant Fiancee To The Hospital During A Blizzard

  In January 2011, Blaine's then-fiancee, Alizée Guinochet, went into labor. Unfortunately, New York City was in the grips of a major winter storm at the time. What's a father-to-be to do?

  If you're David Blaine, you flag down a snowplow, hop on with your pregnant lady, and head to the hospital. Despite the bizarre beginning, the labor went fine and the couple had a healthy baby girl.
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  (#5) He's Been Studied By Scientists To Discover His Dark Magical Secrets

  Obviously, David Blaine does cool magic tricks. But some of his illusions are so mind-bending, even doctors and scientists have been baffled not only by how Blaine performs his tricks, but how he's able to survive his tricks at all. According to the results of a study published by The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors recorded the:

  anthropometric, biochemical, and endocrine changes during the refeeding period after a much-publicized 44-day fast by David Blaine, a performance artist; we compared the findings with results obtained from a control group of 16 age-matched men who had a similar body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) after an overnight fast. 

  The study's findings were nothing revolutionary. But just the fact that Blaine attracted the attention of skeptical scientists probably feels like a victory for him.
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  (#6) He Once Held The World Record For Longest Held Breath

  Given the monumental scope of his performances, it's hardly surprising that Blaine has managed to shatter at least one world record. In 2008, he appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show. There, he held his breath for a jaw-dropping 17 minutes and four seconds - a new world record for oxygen-assisted static apnea.

  Blaine no longer holds the record, but it's still a stunning feat. A year later, he gave a TED talk about this experience.
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  (#7) He Trained With Navy SEALS To Get Better At Stunts

  Blaine is nothing if not prepared. After all, the intensity of his stunts requires an almost superhuman strength. To reach this level of ability, he's trained with Navy SEALS. "What was amazing about the Navy SEALs - a lot of their training, although it is physical, is more about the mental and spiritual part," Blaine told ABC News. "They talk about overriding the pain in your body by finding something to take you away from it."
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  (#8) He Once Drew An Eye On His Hand That He Said Was 'Protection From Death'

  During a bizarrely unsettling 2001 interview on British television, Blaine scrawled some sort of small eye on his hand. When the interviewer asked him what it was for, he replied: "Protection from death."

  And this reply, though cryptic, was one of the most elaborate answers Blaine gave in the whole interview. Barely uttering more than a word or two in reply to the questions being asked, the magician looked preoccupied at best. The appearance was so awkward The Guardian labeled it one of the most excruciating interviews of all time.
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  (#9) He Comes From A Diverse Background

  Blaine's background is almost as interesting as his magic. He was born to a Russian Jewish woman and a Puerto Rican/Italian man, although his biological father left when he was a toddler - after reportedly trying to make his son crawl across a plank of wood suspended between two buildings.

  Another story says that it was his grandmother, who was interested in tarot cards, who sparked young Blaine's interest in the mysteries of illusion and the things we cannot see.
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  (#10) Londoners Did Not Appreciate His 2003 Magic Stunt

  In 2003, Blaine attempted one of his most ambitious acts yet. He lived in a plexiglass box suspended 30 feet in the air near London's Tower Bridge; he had no food or nutritional intake other than a daily ration of four-and-a-half liters of water. Londoners, however, did not appreciate the stunt. And that's putting it mildly.  

  According to The Telegraph, the magician had to endure weeks of "Blaine-baiting," which involved all manner of harassment, including hurled eggs and paint. One man even threw himself off the nearby Tower Bridge, much to the horror of onlookers. 

  Despite the extreme conditions, Blaine lasted an astonishing 44 days in the box before calling it quits.
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  (#11) He Almost Became An Actor

  Despite his early interest in magic, Blaine actually first set out to become an actor. He attended the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse's acting school in New York City. He even booked a few commercials and soap opera roles during this period. At the same time, Blaine was also doing his patented brand of street magic.

  As if this wasn't enough on his plate, his street magic attracted the attention of many passersby, some of whom were celebrities, and Blaine was soon performing private parties for high-profile individuals.
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  (#12) Celebrities Have Been Bowled Over By His Magic

  By the time he was a rising young magician, Blaine had already amassed an impressive celebrity following. As his star has skyrocketed, that following has grown to include some of the biggest names in showbiz. His fans reportedly include Robert De Niro (who bought the rights to a movie about Blaine), Madonna, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, and Bryan Cranston. Even George W. Bush is a fan.
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  (#13) He Started Modern Street Magic

  Blaine not only got his start by doing magic on the streets, but he also reinvented the concept of street magic. Sure, there's a long tradition of card tricks and shell games on the sidewalks of major cities, but none had quite taken it to the level Blaine did - at least not outside of established venues.

  For years, magic was largely a performance relegated to the tightly-controlled environment of theaters; it wasn't a street show. In bringing magic to the people, he returned to its roots and elevated himself to the status of superstar.
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  (#14) He's A Philanthropist

  Ever since he burst onto the scene, Blaine has worked with many different charities to bring magic, hope, and joy to countless people. He's contributed both time and money to organizations like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the New York Police Foundation.

  He's done magic acts at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for terminally ill kids. He also once led 100 kids on a shopping spree through Target. In 2010, he performed a magic trick in Times Square in support of Haitian earthquake relief.
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  (#15) He's Been Accused Of Sexual Assault

  In 2017, Blaine was accused of sexual assault by a former model named Natasha Prince. She said that Blaine raped her in a private home in London back in 2004.

  "My client vehemently denies that he raped or sexually assaulted any woman, ever, and he specifically denies raping a woman in 2004," Blaine's lawyer told the press. "If, in fact, there is any police investigation, my client will fully cooperate because he has nothing to hide." As of 2018, the investigation is ongoing.
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  (#16) He's A Millionaire

  Though Blaine is known to turn down lucrative deals, he is still one of the richest magicians on Earth. In 2017, he made the Forbes list, earning an estimated $6 million. That's a considerable sum for anyone to amass, let alone a magician. Blaine commanded an impressive salary starting with his very first televised special in '97, and his talents have only led to bigger and bigger paychecks with each subsequent special and live show.

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